The present disclosure provides pumped thermal energy storage systems that can be used to store and extract electrical energy. A pumped thermal energy storage system of the present disclosure can store energy by operating as a heat pump or refrigerator, whereby net work input can be used to transfer heat from the cold side to the hot side. A working fluid of the system is capable of efficient heat exchange with heat storage fluids on a hot side of the system and on a cold side of the system. The system can extract energy by operating as a heat engine transferring heat from the hot side to the cold side, which can result in net work output.

An operation data acquisition unit is configured to acquire, from an operation data storage unit for storing operation data collected every first period from a power plant, the operation data collected during a latest second period that is longer than the first period. A unit profit amount calculation unit is configured to calculate an average amount of profit per unit time in relation to a unit amount of performance improvement of the power plant based on the operation data that has been acquired.

Disclosed is a thermal storage solution which can operate without any internal tubing or mechanical pumping in the heat reservoir, and features a heat transfer technology based on evaporation and condensation of heat transfer fluids that will prevent hot and cold zones in the thermal storage reservoir. The main advantage is that the reservoir will have a much lower cost, have more degrees of freedom regarding the interplay between storage capacity, input and output power, and can operate without any mechanical or pressurized parts.

A process for energy storage comprises carrying out a cyclic thermodynamic transformation wherein, in a charge phase, a condensation of a working fluid is executed by means of heat absorption by a heat carrier in order to store the working fluid in the liquid or supercritical phase; in a discharge phase, an evaporation of the working fluid is executed starting from the liquid or supercritical phase and by transfer of heat from the heat carrier; provision is made for actively adjusting at least one parameter of the working fluid related to the condensation and/or to the evaporation, in order to control at least one temperature of the heat carrier and uncouple it from the ambient temperature without the aid of systems outside the cyclic thermodynamic transformation.

An improved heat engine that includes an organic refrigerant exhibiting a boiling point below 35 C.; a heat source having a temperature of less than 82 C.; a heat sink; a sealed, closed-loop path for the organic refrigerant, the sealed, closed-loop path having both a high-pressure zone that absorbs heat from the heat source, and a low-pressure zone that transfers heat to the heat sink; a positive-displacement decompressor providing a pressure gradient through which the organic refrigerant in the gaseous phase flows continuously from the high-pressure zone to the low-pressure zone, the positive-displacement decompressor extracting mechanical energy due to the pressure gradient; and a positive-displacement hydraulic pump, which provides continuous flow of the organic refrigerant in the liquid phase from the low-pressure zone to the high-pressure zone, the hydraulic pump and the positive-displacement decompressor maintaining a pressure differential between the two zones of between about 20 to 42 bar.

A power plant comprises supplies of hydrogen fuel, oxygen fuel and water, a boiler comprising a burner for combusting hydrogen and oxygen to produce heat, combustion products and low/intermediate-pressure steam and a first heat exchanger configured to heat water to generate high-pressure steam, and a steam turbine comprising a first turbine configured to be driven only with the high-pressure steam to provide input to a first electrical generator and a second turbine configured to be driven by low/intermediate-pressure steam from the boiler. A method of operating a steam plant comprises combusting hydrogen fuel in a boiler to produce combustion products and LP/IP steam, turning a turbine with the combustion products, condensing water from the combustion products in a condenser, heating water from the condenser in a heat exchanger within the boiler to produce HP steam and turning a turbine with the steam from the first heat exchanger.

The present disclosure provides pumped thermal energy storage systems that can be used to store and extract electrical energy. A pumped thermal energy storage system of the present disclosure can store energy by operating as a heat pump or refrigerator, whereby net work input can be used to transfer heat from the cold side to the hot side. A working fluid of the system is capable of efficient heat exchange with heat storage fluids on a hot side of the system and on a cold side of the system. The system can extract energy by operating as a heat engine transferring heat from the hot side to the cold side, which can result in net work output.

A thermal reservoir for storing heat energy that can convert water to steam and thus power steam driven machines and vehicles is enclosed. The thermal reservoir converts electrical energy to heat energy using electrical resistance heating coils and the heat energy is stored with a thermal storage substance consisting primarily of lithium fluoride. Heat loss is minimized with a specially designed insulation layer that surrounds the thermal storage compartment. The thermal reservoir is charged and discharged via a heat exchanging system comprised of nested cylinders and a plurality of heat conducting fins that innervate the thermal storage compartment.

The invention is concerned with a method for combined production of nanomaterials and heat. The method comprises feeding at least one precursor material and a fuel into a combustion unit for the generation of heat and nanoparticles, whereby the precursor material is combusted to be decomposed and oxidized in a sufficient temperature. The heat generated in the combustion of the fuel and the precursor material is recovered by using at least one heat exchanger. The combusted fuel is cooled down and the nanoparticles generated in the form of oxides in the combustion are collected. The system of the invention for combined production of nanomaterials and heat comprises a combustion unit, means for feeding at least one precursor material, fuel and oxidizer into the combustion unit for combustion, a heat exchanger for recovering heat from the combustion unit, and for cooling the combusted fuel, and means for collecting nanomaterials in the form of oxides from the combustion of the precursor material(s).

An operation data acquisition unit acquires, from an operation data storage unit for storing operation data collected every first period from a power plant, the operation data collected during the latest second period that is longer than the first period. A unit profit amount calculation unit calculates an average amount of profits per unit time in relation to a unit amount of performance improvement of the power plant on the basis of the acquired operation data.