Disclosed is a combined energy supply system of wind, photovoltaic, solar thermal power and medium-based heat storage, capable of storing the energy which would have been “abandoned wind” and “abandoned light” temporarily in the form of heat by medium-based energy storage. Heat is released during peaks in the power grid to generate power, which serves the function of adjusting the peaks in the power grid. With the medium-based energy storage, unstable photovoltaic electric energy can be converted into stable heat energy output when a relatively large fluctuation occurs in wind and photovoltaic power generation, and therefore the stable supply of energy sources can be guaranteed efficiently. Furthermore, a second heater can also be used for heating the low-temperature media outputted by a first medium tank (100), or a third heater is used for heating water in a heat exchanger (500), and therefore the energy storage of the medium or the heating efficiency of the heat exchanger is improved.

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.

The production of NH.sub.3, Urea, UAN, and DAP, starting from inherently intermittent renewable energy, such as photovoltaic and wind power, is made economical by use of molten salt thermal energy storage (ESS) and water electrolyzer (WE) concentrated oxygen. The process inputs and equipment apply air; hydrogen-containing fuel, such as biomass; WE (concentrated O.sub.2 and H.sub.2 producing); thermal ESS equipped with a turbine and generator to steady the electricity input to the WE; and an ammonia plant. The thermal ESS enables minimally sized process equipment including, the WE, the air separation unit and less hydrogen storage. The concentrated oxygen from the water electrolyzer uniquely enables high-temperature thermal ESS input, water and CO2 collection and other fertilizer products, including Urea, UAN and DAP. DAP production is facilitated by using WE high-purity O.sub.2 oxidation and ammonium nitrate is similarly facilitated by anhydrous NH.sub.3 oxidation.

A system for enhancing overall energy production of CSPs through amplification of solar heat collection. In one embodiment, the system comprises a linear solar-thermal concentrator for concentrating solar light comprising a curved surface, two side walls, and an opening; a fluid conduit disposed within the linear solar-thermal concentrator that carries a working fluid through the linear solar-thermal concentrator; and a convection cover disposed over the opening of the linear thermal concentrator that traps heat convection energy within the linear solar-thermal concentrator.

Solar/Rankine steam cycle hybrid concentrating solar power (CSP) systems and methods for designing or retrofitting existent natural circulation boilers using saturated or superheated steam produced by direct steam generation (DSG) or Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) steam generators and CSP solar field technology systems are described. Additionally, methods and processes of retrofitting the existent Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSG) or biomass, gas, oil or coal fired boilers to operate integrated to a molten salt/water-steam heat exchangers are disclosed. The hybrid CSP systems are highly efficient due to the increase of steam generated by the solar section comprising either the DSG receiver or the molten salt-water-steam sequential heat exchangers, pre-heaters, boiler/saturated steam generators, super-heaters and re-heaters. The additional saturated, superheated and reheated steam produced is directed to a Rankine cycle according to its pressure, temperature and steam quality significantly reducing the fuel consumption within a cogeneration or Combine Cycle Power Plant.

Inventive concentrated solar power systems using solar receivers, and related devices and methods, are generally described.

An antenna including a remote electrical tilt drive for driving a movable phase shifter linkage is provided. The remote electrical tilt drive comprises a shape memory alloy arrangement attached to a non-moving part of the antenna and to the movable phase shifter linkage, wherein the shape memory alloy arrangement is configured to move the movable phase shifter linkage in a predetermined direction upon an electrical current being supplied to the shape memory alloy arrangement, and a counter motion member attached to the non-moving part of the antenna and to the movable phase shifter linkage and configured to move the movable phase shifter linkage in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction.

A solar thermal power generation system is provided with a low-temperature heat collection device; a steam separator; a first hot water line that feeds water separated by a steam separator to the low-temperature heat collection device; a low-temperature heat storage device provided in the first hot water line; a high-temperature heat collection device; a steam turbine; a first main steam line that feeds superheated steam to the steam turbine; a second main steam line that branches from the first main steam line and joins with the first main steam line; a high-temperature heat storage device provided in the second main steam line; a low-temperature bypass line that bypasses the low-temperature heat collection device and; and a high-temperature bypass line that bypasses the high-temperature heat collection device and connects a steam outlet-side of the steam separator to an inlet-side of the high-temperature heat storage device.

The invention provides a process for removal of gaseous decomposition products from high temperature heat transfer fluid HTF of an operational solar thermal power plant having an HTF circuit, in which a volume increase of the HTF in the HTF circuit which is caused by incident solar radiation in an HTF-traversed solar field and consequent heating by day takes place regularly in a day-night cycle and the additional volume formed by the volume increase is collected from the HTF circuit in an expansion vessel, a portion of the additional volume of the HTF is transferred into a drainage vessel operated at relatively low pressure in which gaseous decomposition products and low-boiling constituents escape from the HTF, wherein the low-boiling constituents are condensed, and during the volume contraction of the HTF occurring during the night-time cooling a portion of the additional volume of the HTF is recycled from the drainage vessel into the expansion vessel and from the expansion vessel into the HTF circuit, wherein the volumes in the expansion vessel and the drainage vessel becoming vacant as a result of the transferrals of the HTF are filled with inert gas.

A solar energy capture, conversion and storage system for use on a roof of a building for capturing and converting incident solar radiation to heat and electricity. The invention provides an optimised solar energy capture and conversion system that monitors immediately available incident radiation comprising a mounting structure which supports a matrix in which is embedded a conduit containing a working fluid. The fluid or fluid mixture includes at least one hydro-fluoro-ether (HFE). Valves are arranged to open/close ports which connect the solar energy capture system to either a combined heat/electrical generating system or an energy storage system that incorporates a phase change material to store heat energy. Control of the valves is supervised by an energy management system.