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.

A method and system for modulating vapor and liquid fractions of a cycling liquid-vapor fluid operating within its phase transition envelope by creating forced oscillating heat transfer between liquid and vapor fractions of the cycling stream. A liquid stream segment is expansion cooled and brought into thermal communication with a vapor stream segment. The contact with the expansion-cooled liquid enables intermolecular forces to drive condensation and release condensation heat at a condensation temperature higher than the temperature of the expansion-cooled stream segment. The resulting temperature gradient enables the expansion-cooled segment held at constant volume to capture the condensation heat and isochorically vaporize into a vapor stream segment that again is forced to condense so as to form an oscillating thermal cycle within the cycling liquid-vapor fluid.

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.

Power systems and methods including a vaporization subsystem (VPSS), an energy conversion subsystem (ECSS), and a distillation condensation subsystem (DCSS), where the DCSS produces a fully condensed, lean working solution stream (LWSS) and a fully condensed, rich working solution stream (RWSS) from a multiple component working fluid using an external coolant stream, the VPSS vaporizes and superheats the LWSS and RWSS in a multi-stage vaporization process such that each LWSS remains in a state of subcooled liquid prior to being mixed with the RWSS or one or more intermediate solution streams to maximize heat extraction from an external heat source stream to form a combined working solution stream (CWSS) and converting a portion of the heat in the CWSS into a useable from of energy in the ECSS.

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 beat engine transferring heat from the hot side to the cold side, which can result in net work output.

The invention relates to a method for operating a power plant, wherein in partial load operation the increase of temperature results at the outlet of the high-pressure turbine section as a consequence of a throttling by means of the intermediate pressure valve.

A method and system for modulating vapor and liquid fractions of a cycling liquid-vapor fluid operating within its phase transition envelope by creating forced oscillating heat transfer between liquid and vapor fractions of the cycling stream. A liquid stream segment is expansion cooled and brought into thermal communication with a vapor stream segment. The contact with the expansion-cooled liquid enables intermolecular forces to drive condensation and release condensation heat at a condensation temperature higher than the temperature of the expansion-cooled stream segment. The resulting temperature gradient enables the expansion-cooled segment held at constant volume to capture the condensation heat and isochorically vaporize into a vapor stream segment that again is forced to condense so as to form an oscillating thermal cycle within the cycling liquid-vapor fluid.

A method and system for modulating vapor and liquid fractions of a cycling liquid-vapor fluid operating within its phase transition envelope by creating forced oscillating heat transfer between liquid and vapor fractions of the cycling stream. A liquid stream segment is expansion cooled and brought into thermal communication with a vapor stream segment. The contact with the expansion- cooled liquid enables intermolecular forces to drive condensation and release condensation heat at a condensation temperature higher than the temperature of the expansion-cooled stream segment. The resulting temperature gradient enables the expansion-cooled segment held at constant volume to capture the condensation heat and isochorically vaporize into a vapor stream segment that again is forced to condense so as to form an oscillating thermal cycle within the cycling liquid-vapor fluid