In a method of hybrid power generation in an environment with a gas pressure below the earth's atmospheric pressure, liquid water is extracted from a subsurface water ice deposit by pumping superheated-supercritical fluid heated by a heater through an extraction well into the subsurface water ice deposit in order to form a liquid water reservoir. Liquid water is pumped from the liquid water reservoir through the extraction well to the buffer tank. The liquid water is pumped from the buffer tank into a high pressure feeder system (HPFS) and a low pressure feeder system (LPFS), which are each also heated by the heater. The HPFS outputs supercritical water and the LPFS outputs flash steam into a combined injector and the mixture is injected into a turbine at near environmental pressure. This mixture explosively expands into superheated steam and passes through the turbine, powering an electrical generator.

In a method of hybrid power generation in an environment with a gas pressure below the earth's atmospheric pressure, liquid water is extracted from a subsurface water ice deposit by pumping superheated-supercritical fluid heated by a heater through an extraction well into the subsurface water ice deposit in order to form a liquid water reservoir. Liquid water is pumped from the liquid water reservoir through the extraction well to the buffer tank. The liquid water is pumped from the buffer tank into a high pressure feeder system (HPFS) and a low pressure feeder system (LPFS), which are each also heated by the heater. The HPFS outputs supercritical water and the LPFS outputs flash steam into a combined injector and the mixture is injected into a turbine at near environmental pressure. This mixture explosively expands into superheated steam and passes through the turbine, powering an electrical generator.

In a method of hybrid power generation in an environment with a gas pressure below the earth's atmospheric pressure, liquid water is extracted from a subsurface water ice deposit by pumping superheated-supercritical fluid heated by a heater through an extraction well into the subsurface water ice deposit in order to form a liquid water reservoir. Liquid water is pumped from the liquid water reservoir through the extraction well to the buffer tank. The liquid water is pumped from the buffer tank into a high pressure feeder system (HPFS) and a low pressure feeder system (LPFS), which are each also heated by the heater. The HPFS outputs supercritical water and the LPFS outputs flash steam into a combined injector and the mixture is injected into a turbine at near environmental pressure. This mixture explosively expands into superheated steam and passes through the turbine, powering an electrical generator.

A power conversion system including a first working fluid circuit and a second working fluid circuit. Heat, e.g. waste heat from a top, high-temperature thermodynamic cycle, is transferred to working fluid circulating in the first working fluid circuit and expanded in a first expander to generate useful mechanical power. A heat transfer arrangement is provided, between the first working fluid circuit and second working fluid circuit, configured for transferring low-temperature heat from the first working fluid circuit to the second working fluid circuit. In the second working fluid circuit working fluid is processed, which is expanded in at least one expander to generate useful mechanical power which is used to power a pump or compressor of the first working fluid circuit. The heat of the expanded gas is further used in a second recuperator to pre-heat the first working fluid.

Methods and devices for long-duration electricity storage using low-cost thermal energy storage and high-efficiency power cycle, are disclosed. In some embodiments it has the potential for superior long-duration, low-cost energy storage.

An organic Rankine cycle system (100, 110, 120) with direct exchange and in cascade comprising a high temperature organic Rankine cycle (10) which carries out the direct heat exchange with a hot source (H) and a low temperature organic Rankine cycle (10′) in thermal communication with the high temperature cycle (10). The organic Rankine cycle system (100, 110, 120) is configured in a way that the thermal communication between the cycles (10, 10′) takes place through at least one heat exchanger (3) configured to use at least the condensation heat of the high temperature cycle to vaporize and/or preheat the working fluid of the low temperature organic Rankine cycle fluid and through a heat exchanger (4) configured to operate as working fluid sub-cooler for the high temperature organic Rankine cycle (10) and as a working fluid preheater for the low temperature organic Rankine cycle (10′).

A thermal utilization system is capable of producing power, storing energy via a chemical or and a hydropower-elevation means. It also capable of transport fluid as vapor over obstacles and terrains, as well as desalinate water. It may in some embodiments do all or some of these tasks simultaneously and with the same amount of energy. It may run with any source of energy including renewable energy sources such as solar energy, and wind. The system may use that energy to run a heat engine and, at the same time, stores that energy via chemical separation. When energy is needed, the system may withdraw the chemical substances and lets them interact to claim the energy back, and then use it to run a heat engine and desalinate water. Some parts of the system can be used for cooling and heating. The system may be configured to be an air conditioner unit or a refrigerator that has an internal back up energy storage.

According to some embodiments, a supercritical waste heat recovery system comprises a first heat exchanger operable to introduce waste heat into a primary loop working fluid; a first turboexpander operable to expand the primary loop working fluid to produce electricity and/or mechanical work; a second heat exchanger operable to reject heat from the primary loop working fluid and introduce heat into a secondary loop working fluid; a third heat exchanger operable to reject additional heat from the primary loop working fluid; a first compressor operable to increase pressure of the primary loop working fluid; a second turboexpander operable to expand the secondary loop working fluid to produce electricity and/or mechanical work; a fourth heat exchanger operable to reject heat from the secondary loop working fluid; and a second compressor operable to increase pressure of the secondary loop working fluid.

A method to generate electrical power and cold energy from any grade of thermal energy (e.g., ambient, solar, waste heat, geothermal, combustion products, nuclear, or any combination thereof) in a cryogenic, closed loop (e.g., regenerative) cycle is disclosed. The method includes supplying a first stream of a pressurized first fluid in a liquid state having low or above cryogenic temperature range to absorb an externally supplied energy in the first heat exchanger disposed upstream of the first prime mover where the first fluid expands in a polytropic process and is submitted for full condensation or for cooling only by the second stream of the pressurized second fluid in a liquid state having cryogenic temperature in the second heat exchanger disposed upstream of the secondary prime mover, through which the preheated second fluid expands polytropically producing a cryogenic two phase flow that is further submitted to a combination of separators and Joule-Thompson valves to achieve maximum liquification of the second fluid. Non-condensed cryogenic vapor is pressurized in a compressor, with discharge been cooled by the first and/or second fluid and further combined with the second fluid before expansion in the second prime mover. Both prime movers may be operably connected to an electric generator or a propulsion system to produce required electrical power or work. The first and the second fluid may be of the same or a different origin selected from the substances like Air, N.sub.2, O.sub.2, Methane, and CO.sub.2, etc. The cold energy of the first and the second fluid can be used for a regenerative liquification of hazardous combustion emissions, CO.sub.2, and/or liquified industrial gases by individual species for a subsequent storage and sales.

A system includes a waste heat recovery heat exchanger configured to heat a heating fluid stream by exchange with a heat source in a crude oil associated gas processing plant. The system includes an Organic Rankine cycle energy conversion system including a pump, an energy conversion heat exchanger configured to heat the working fluid by exchange with the heated heating fluid stream, a turbine and a generator configured to generate power by expansion of the heated working fluid, a cooling element configured to cool the expanded working fluid after power generation, and an accumulation tank. The heating fluid flows from the accumulation tank, through the waste heat recovery heat exchanger, through the Organic Rankine cycle energy conversion system, and back to the accumulation tank.