Integrated Energy Systems (IESs), such as for use in capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide, and associated devices and methods are described herein. A representative IES can include a power plant system having multiple modular nuclear reactors, a desalination plant, a brine processing plant, and a direct air capture plant. The nuclear reactors can generate electricity and/or steam for use by the desalination plant and the direct air capture plant. The desalination plant can use the electricity and/or steam to produce brine from seawater or brackish water. The brine processing plant can receive the brine from the desalination plant and process the brine to produce sodium hydroxide. The direct air capture plant can use the sodium hydroxide as a liquid sorbent in a direct air capture process to capture carbon dioxide from atmospheric air.

A method, system, and apparatus for the thermal storage of nuclear reactor generated energy including diverting a selected portion of energy from a portion of a nuclear reactor system to an auxiliary thermal reservoir and, responsive to a shutdown event, supplying a portion of the diverted selected portion of energy to an energy conversion system of the nuclear reactor system.

A power generation system and related method for repowering a fossil-fueled power plant using a carbon-free nuclear steam supply system (NSSS) which replaces the existing fossil plant steam generator which burns fossil fuel such as coal, oil, or natural gas. The existing fossil plant energy conversion system including the turbine-generator (turbogenerator) and auxiliary components of the Rankine cycle is retained. The NSSS may include a small modular reactor (SMR) unit comprising a reactor vessel with nuclear fuel core and steam generator which receives heated primary coolant from the reactor to produce main steam to operate the Rankine cycle. The main steam output by the SMR unit is compressed in a steam compressor to increase its pressure to a level necessary to operate the turbogenerator. The compressor may be operated via a portion of the main steam. An intercooler of the compressor may be used for main steam reheating.

A method for generating electricity by means of a nuclear power plant and a liquid vaporization apparatus involves, during a first period, producing heat energy by means of the nuclear power plant and using the heat energy to vaporize water or to heat water vapor, expanding the water vapor formed in a first turbine and using the first turbine to drive an electricity generator in order to produce electricity, vaporizing liquefied gas coming from a cryogenic store in order to produce pressurized gas, reheating the pressurized gas with a part of the water vapor intended for the first turbine of the nuclear power plant and expanding the pressurized fluid in a second turbine to produce electricity and, during the second period, liquefying the gas to be vaporized.

A power plant (1) has an energy converter (3) for converting heat energy to another form of energy with use of a working fluid, and a heat exchanger (4) for rejecting heat from working fluid. A secondary circuit (6) provides coolant to the heat exchanger (4). The secondary circuit (6) includes a heat store (7) arranged to store coolant, a secondary heat exchanger (8), a coolant diverter (12), and a controller configured to route coolant from the working fluid heat exchanger (4) to the heat store (7) in order to reject heat to the store, or to the secondary heat exchanger (8). It chooses between these according to which provides more effective heat rejection from the coolant, and possible other factors. Typically, the controller uses the heat store during daytime and the secondary heat exchanger during night time. This means that heat working fluid is rejecting heat during day time at a temperature of the night time, thereby achieving improved plant efficiency.

Methods and systems for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from a coal-fired power plant by using electrical energy from a renewable energy source to increase the energy density in a beneficiated coal are provided. The system includes at least one renewable energy source; a coal processing plant, wherein the renewable energy source is configured to power a coal beneficiation process; and a coal-fired power plant to combust beneficiated coal to produce electricity on demand with decreased emissions. The non-carbon thermal energy source may include solar thermal energy, geothermal energy, waste energy and combinations of the foregoing.

Methods and systems for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from a coal-fired power plant by using thermal energy from a non-carbon source to reduce the amount of electrical energy needed to reduce the moisture content of coal and increase the energy density of coal prior to combustion are provided. The system includes at least one non-carbon thermal energy source; a coal processing plant configured to reduce the moisture content of coal and produce an increased energy density beneficiated coal, wherein said at least one non-carbon thermal energy source is used to reduce an electrical need of the coal processing plant; and a coal-fired power plant configured to combust the increased energy density beneficiated coal thereby producing electricity on demand at an increased efficiency with reduced carbon dioxide emissions from the plant. The renewable energy source is selected from microwave, hydroelectric power, solar power, wind power, and/or wave power.

Systems and methods to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide associated with coal fired power plants by using electricity from a nuclear power plant to power a coal processing plant that reduces the moisture content of coal resulting in an increased energy density beneficiated coal are provided. The system includes a source of electricity from a nuclear power plant; a coal processing plant configured to reduce the moisture content of the coal by a beneficiation process to produce an increased energy density coal; and a coal-fired power plant configured to convert the increased energy density coal to electricity on demand at a higher efficiency with reduced emissions of carbon dioxide.

An integrated energy system includes a nuclear thermal plant situated on a nuclear site. The nuclear thermal plant produces thermal energy that is transported to a thermal energy storage system located outside the nuclear site. The thermal storage system is thermally coupled to a power generation system which is also remote to the nuclear site. By this arrangement, the nuclear thermal plant is isolated and decoupled from the power generation system. The nuclear thermal plant may supply thermal energy upwards of 800 C. or more to be stored at the thermal energy storage system until needed such as for industrial heat, power generation, or other uses. The thermal storage system is source agnostic, and one or more additional thermal energy generators, such as additional nuclear reactors, solar thermal plants, or other thermal energy generators can be coupled to a common thermal storage system and power generation system.

A power generation system and related method for repowering a fossil-fueled power plant using a carbon-free nuclear steam supply system (NSSS) which replaces the existing fossil plant steam generator which burns fossil fuel such as coal, oil, or natural gas. The existing fossil plant energy conversion system including the turbine-generator (turbogenerator) and auxiliary components of the Rankine cycle is retained. The NSSS may include a small modular reactor (SMR) unit comprising a reactor vessel with nuclear fuel core and steam generator which receives heated primary coolant from the reactor to produce main steam to operate the Rankine cycle. The main steam output by the SMR unit is compressed in a steam compressor to increase its pressure to a level necessary to operate the turbogenerator. The compressor may be operated via a portion of the main steam. An intercooler of the compressor may be used for main steam reheating.