Thermal energy battery, comprising: an evaporator-condenser thermal energy storage (ec-TES), with an end for vapor and an end for liquid, comprising one-phase stationary material storing at least 70% of the thermal energy stored within the ec-TES, a storage tank for vapor and liquid (ST), with a vapor part at a higher elevation and a liquid part at a lower elevation, a vapor line, arranged to the vapor end of the ec-TES, for inlet and outlet of vapor, a liquid line arranged between the liquid end of the ec-TES and the liquid part of the ST, a tank vapor line arranged from the vapor part of the ST to the vapor line or the vapor end of the ec-TES, and an evaporation control valve (CV6) in the tank vapor line.

Thermal energy battery, comprising: an evaporator-condenser thermal energy storage (ec-TES), with an end for vapor and an end for liquid, comprising one-phase stationary material storing at least 70% of the thermal energy stored within the ec-TES, a storage tank for vapor and liquid (ST), with a vapor part at a higher elevation and a liquid part at a lower elevation, a vapor line, arranged to the vapor end of the ec-TES, for inlet and outlet of vapor, a liquid line arranged between the liquid end of the ec-TES and the liquid part of the ST, a tank vapor line arranged from the vapor part of the ST to the vapor line or the vapor end of the ec-TES, and an evaporation control valve (CV6) in the tank vapor line.

An energy storage plant includes a casing for the storage of a working fluid different from atmospheric air, in gaseous phase and in pressure equilibrium with the atmosphere; and a tank for the storage of said working fluid in liquid or super-critical phase with a temperature close to the critical temperature. The critical temperature is close to the ambient temperature. The plant is configured to perform a closed cyclic thermodynamic transformation, first in one direction in a charge configuration and then in an opposite direction in a discharge configuration, between said casing and said tank. In the charge configuration the plant stores heat and pressure and in the discharge configuration generates mechanical energy to drive a driven machine.

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 apparatus includes multiple tanks each configured to receive and store a liquid refrigerant under pressure. The apparatus also includes one or more insulated water jackets each configured to receive and retain water around at least part of an associated one of the tanks. The apparatus further includes at least one generator configured to receive a flow of the liquid refrigerant and to generate electrical power based on the flow of the liquid refrigerant. The apparatus also includes one or more first valves configured to control the flow of the liquid refrigerant between the tanks and through the at least one generator. In addition, the apparatus includes one or more second valves configured to control a flow of the water into and out of the one or more insulated water jackets.

An apparatus includes first and second tanks each configured to receive and store a refrigerant under pressure. The apparatus also includes at least one generator configured to receive flows of the refrigerant between the tanks and to generate electrical power based on the flows of the refrigerant. The apparatus further includes first and second hydraulic drives associated with the first and second tanks, respectively. Each hydraulic drive includes a first piston within the associated tank, a channel fluidly coupled to the associated tank and configured to contain hydraulic fluid, and a second piston within the channel and configured to move within the channel in order to vary an amount of the hydraulic fluid within the associated tank and vary a position of the first piston within the associated tank. The channel of each hydraulic drive has a cross-sectional area that is less than a cross-sectional area of the associated tank.

A vehicle has a vehicle system with a waste heat fluid. An expander, a condenser, a pump, and an evaporator are provided in sequential fluid communication in a thermodynamic cycle containing a working fluid. The evaporator is configured to transfer heat from the waste heat fluid to the working fluid. At least one valve adjacent to the pump is controlled to control fluid flow through at least one chamber to maintain a pressure of the fluid at a pump inlet at a threshold pressure above a saturated vapor pressure associated with a temperature at a condenser outlet when ambient temperature varies.

A carbon dioxide cycle power generation system includes storage collectively storing portions of carbon dioxide liquid and gas and a transfer connection selectively directing flow of the carbon dioxide through a turbine. The system cycles between different seawater depths in order to employ at least one of seawater pressure and seawater temperature in creating the carbon dioxide flow. Inlet/outlet control valves on variable volume tanks, positioned below movable pistons within the respective tank, selectively allow seawater into or out of a lower portion of the respective tank below the piston to pressurize the carbon dioxide therein relative to the carbon dioxide within the other tank when at depth rather than near the surface. Inhibited versus uninhibited heat transfer between storage portions and the seawater allows different seawater temperatures at depth and near the surface to create the carbon dioxide flow. Acoustic communications may be driven concurrent with the turbine.

Thermal energy battery, comprising: an evaporator-condenser thermal energy storage (ec-TES), with an end for vapor and an end for liquid, comprising one-phase stationary material storing at least 70% of the thermal energy stored within the ec-TES, a storage tank for vapor and liquid (ST), with a vapor part at a higher elevation and a liquid part at a lower elevation, a vapor line, arranged to the vapor end of the ec-TES, for inlet and outlet of vapor, a liquid line arranged between the liquid end of the ec-TES and the liquid part of the ST, a tank vapor line arranged from the vapor part of the ST to the vapor line or the vapor end of the ec-TES, and an evaporation control valve (CV6) in the tank vapor line.

Thermal energy battery, comprising: an evaporator-condenser thermal energy storage (ec-TES), with an end for vapor and an end for liquid, comprising one-phase stationary material storing at least 70% of the thermal energy stored within the ec-TES, a storage tank for vapor and liquid (ST), with a vapor part at a higher elevation and a liquid part at a lower elevation, a vapor line, arranged to the vapor end of the ec-TES, for inlet and outlet of vapor, a liquid line arranged between the liquid end of the ec-TES and the liquid part of the ST, a tank vapor line arranged from the vapor part of the ST to the vapor line or the vapor end of the ec-TES, and an evaporation control valve (CV6) in the tank vapor line.