Various embodiments include a system for providing heat, cold, and/or electric power comprising: a first and a second compressor; a first and a second expander; and a first heat store and a second heat store. An output of the first compressor is thermally coupled to a first input of the first heat store and to a second input of the second heat store. An output of the second compressor is thermally coupled to a first input of the second heat store and to a second input of the first heat store. An input of the first expander is thermally coupled to a first output of the first heat store and to a second output of the second heat store. An input of the second expander is thermally coupled to a first output of the second heat store and to a second output of the first heat store.

An energy storage-combined cooling, heating and power (S-CCHP) system for a building receives energy from a source, for example an intermittent source, and stores the energy in first and second high temperature energy storage (HTES) units. A Brayton cycle using the first HTES unit produces hot and pressurized air that is further heated in the second HTES unit. The heated air drives a turbine to generate electricity for the building. A portion of the compressed air from the Brayton cycle is diverted to a hot water heat exchanger, then to another turbine to produce electricity to the building. The hot water heat exchanger heats water for the building and the other turbine exhaust cools water for building cooling. Heat exchangers are strategically placed to optimize the thermal efficiency of the cycle. In some embodiments the heat transfer fluid is humidified to improve thermal energy transfer properties.

A semi-open high-temperature heat pump system including a compressor, a direct-contact condenser, a heat exchanger, an evaporator, a water purifier, a cold water pump, a hot water pump, a circulating water pump, and a vacuum pump. A discharge port of the compressor is connected to the direct-contact condenser, the direct-contact condenser is connected to the evaporator via the heat exchanger, and the evaporator is connected to a gas suction port of the compressor via a gas vent on its top. An outlet of the water purifier is separately connected to the compressor, the direct-contact condenser, and the evaporator via the cold water pump. An outlet at the bottom of the evaporator is connected to the direct-contact condenser via the circulating water pump. The vacuum pump is connected above the direct-contact condenser, and the hot water pump is connected below the direct-contact condenser.

A waste-heat recovery system includes a waste-heat-recovery heat a tank, a circulation circuit, a circulation pump, and a control device that is configured to obtain the temperature of the heat medium flowing through a heat medium outlet piping of the circulation circuit and the temperature of the water stored in the tank. The control device stops the circulation pump or reduces the rotational frequency thereof in a case where the temperature of the heat medium flowing through the heat medium outlet piping is lower, or lower by a predetermined temperature or more, than the temperature of the water.

An energy storage system converts variable renewable electricity (VRE) to continuous heat at over 1000° C. Intermittent electrical energy heats a solid medium. Heat from the solid medium is delivered continuously on demand. An array of bricks incorporating internal radiation cavities is directly heated by thermal radiation. The cavities facilitate rapid, uniform heating via reradiation. Heat delivery via flowing gas establishes a thermocline which maintains high outlet temperature throughout discharge. Gas flows through structured pathways within the array, delivering heat which may be used for processes including calcination, hydrogen electrolysis, steam generation, and thermal power generation and cogeneration. Groups of thermal storage arrays may be controlled and operated at high temperatures without thermal runaway via deep-discharge sequencing. Forecast-based control enables continuous, year-round heat supply using current and advance information of weather and VRE availability. High-voltage DC power conversion and distribution circuitry improves the efficiency of VRE power transfer into the system.

The invention relates to a power plant (1) for generating electric energy (100) and process steam (200), comprising: —a gas turbine (2) for driving a first generator (3) in order to generate electric energy (100) by combusting a fuel into flue gas (300), —a steam turbine (4) for driving a second generator (5) in order to generate electric energy (100), comprising a first stage (4a) for converting fresh steam (400) into residual steam (201), which constitutes at least part of the process steam (200), and —a waste heat steam generator (6) for generating the fresh steam (400) from fresh water (500) using the exhaust heat of the flue gas (300), wherein —the residual steam (201) has a residual steam pressure which is lower than the pressure of the fresh steam (400), —the waste heat steam generator (6) comprises a pre-heater (7) for pre-heating the fresh water (500) in order to form feed water (600) and an evaporator (8) for evaporating the feed water (600) in order to form the fresh steam (400), and —the feed water (600) has a feed water pressure which is higher than the residual steam pressure. The invention is characterized by a throttle valve (9, 14) for expanding part of the feed water (600) either at the residual steam pressure in order to generate an additional steam (202) or at a drive steam pressure which is lower than the residual steam pressure in order to generate a drive steam (700) for operating a second stage (4b) of the steam turbine (4).

A generalized frequency conversion system for a steam turbine generator unit. The system comprises at least a variable speed steam turbine with an adjustable rotating speed, a water feeding pump, a variable frequency generator operating at a variable speed, a speed increasing gearbox with a fixed rotating speed ratio, a variable frequency bus and an auxiliary machine. With a change in load of the unit, parameters of steam entering the variable speed steam turbine and an extracted steam amount are adjusted (changed) accordingly, so that the rotating speed of the steam turbine changes accordingly. In this way, on one hand, the rotating speed of the water feeding pump is changed through the speed increasing gearbox; and on the other hand, the frequency of alternating current outputted by the variable frequency generator is changed. In the present invention, there is no need to additionally provide other types of frequency converters, and the system is simple, reliable, low in cost and high in efficiency.

The invention relates to an evaporation dryer (1) for drying particles, having—a process chamber (10) with at least one product inlet (11) for supplying the particles to be dried into the process chamber (10) and a product outlet (12) for discharging dried particles from the process chamber (10), —a heat exchanger (20) arranged within the process chamber (10), —having at least one inlet (21, 211) into the heat exchanger (20) for pressurized steam as process steam and at least one condensate outlet (22, 222) from the heat exchanger (20), wherein—the at least one condensate outlet (22, 222) is connected to an expansion tank (30), wherein at least one pump (40) is connected to the expansion tank (30), and the expanding steam is pumped out of the expansion tank (30) and supplied to the process steam.

Method and apparatus for cleaning pollution control equipment, such as particulate removal devices, including wet electrostatic precipitators (WESP). The apparatus may include a housing having a chamber, at least one process gas inlet in fluid communication with the chamber, a process gas outlet spaced from the at least one process gas inlet and in fluid communication with the chamber, one or more ionizing electrodes in the housing and one or more collection electrodes or plates in the housing. Sealing liquid is provided and introduced into the chamber in an amount sufficient to submerge the at least one process gas inlet and stop the flow of contaminated gas into the chamber.

An energy storage system converts variable renewable electricity (VRE) to continuous heat at over 1000° C. Intermittent electrical energy heats a solid medium. Heat from the solid medium is delivered continuously on demand. An array of bricks incorporating internal radiation cavities is directly heated by thermal radiation. The cavities facilitate rapid, uniform heating via reradiation. Heat delivery via flowing gas establishes a thermocline which maintains high outlet temperature throughout discharge. Gas flows through structured pathways within the array, delivering heat which may be used for processes including calcination, hydrogen electrolysis, steam generation, and thermal power generation and cogeneration. Groups of thermal storage arrays may be controlled and operated at high temperatures without thermal runaway via deep-discharge sequencing. Forecast-based control enables continuous, year-round heat supply using current and advance information of weather and VRE availability. High-voltage DC power conversion and distribution circuitry improves the efficiency of VRE power transfer into the system.