This invention relates generally to hydro-turbine drive methods and systems and, more particularly, to hydro-turbine drive methods and systems such as for application for various rotary machineries including producing a high pressure fluid with at least one fluid pump by utilizing a fluid heater to create a fluid and vapor mixture for producing mechanical shaft power.

A combined cooling, heating, and power system, including a working fluid cycling between a compressor and a turbine in combination with a power generator. A humidifying regenerator is disposed between the compressor and the turbine, and in combination with the working fluid upstream and again downstream of the turbine to humidify and then dehumidify the working fluid. A working fluid heat exchanger is in combination with the working fluid between the turbine and the humidifying regenerator for further heat the working fluid. The heat exchanger is in combination with a heat source that heats both the working fluid and provides a separate heating medium. A cooling device is in combination with the working fluid between the humidifying regenerator and the compressor, wherein the cooling device cools the working fluid before entering the compressor and provides a separate cooling medium.

A hybrid heat engine system includes a chamber housing including an inlet and an outlet. A piston is disposed in an interior volume of the chamber housing. The hybrid heat engine system further includes a valve configured to provide a first fluid in a heated state from a heat source to the interior volume via the inlet. The first fluid in the heated state is to push against a first side of the piston to cause a second side of the piston to push a working fluid out of the interior volume and through a turbine to generate energy.

In the present invention, a recuperator is used in a refrigerant cycle to make a heat exchange between a refrigerant generated in a condenser and a refrigerant before flowing into a compressor, thereby supercooling the refrigerant to minimize the quality of the refrigerant introduced into an evaporator, elevating temperatures at an inlet and an outlet of the compressor, and increasing condensed heat of the condenser. In the present invention, a recuperator is used to increase condensed heat of the condenser, leading to increasing the heat which circulation water circulating in a steam producing cycle receives from the condenser, whereby steam production efficiency can be improved.

Systems and methods are described for generating electricity from fluid produced from a subsurface formation. The disclosed systems and methods include generating electrical power using the energy content of fluids produced from the earth or hot fluids created during surface processing of the produced fluids. Fluid is obtained from a well in the subsurface formation and provided to a first power generation device where a pressure and a temperature of the fluid is adjusted to a pressure and a temperature compatible with the first power generation device using one or more valves coupled to the first power generation device. The first power generation device generates electricity from the fluid. One or more second power generation devices also generate electricity using the fluid where one of the second power generation devices is a thermoelectric generator.

The present invention relates to an aircraft having at least one wing, on which at least one propulsion unit is arranged, comprising at least one heat engine, especially a gas turbine, as well as an exhaust gas passage for conducting exhaust gas of the heat engine into and inside the wing.

A method for generating power from a heat source includes mixing a refrigerant in a liquid phase with a lubricating oil, heating the mixture to evaporate the refrigerant, mixing the heated mixture with additional refrigerant in a superheated phase, and atomizing the lubricating oil to disperse the lubricating oil within the refrigerant. The atomized lubricating oil and the refrigerant are passed through a decompressor to generate an electrical current. The refrigerant may be an organic material having a boiling point below about −35 C. Related systems and heat engines are also disclosed.

A hybrid heat engine system includes a valve configured to provide first fluid from a heat source. The hybrid heat engine system further includes one or more first pipes fluidly coupled between the valve and a turbine. The one or more first pipes house a second fluid. The hybrid heat engine system further includes a chamber disposed between the valve and the one or more first pipes. The hybrid heat engine system further includes a piston disposed in the chamber between the first fluid and the second fluid. At least a portion of the second fluid is to be pushed through the turbine to generate energy responsive to actuation of the valve.

In a method of hybrid power generation in an environment with a gas pressure below the earth's atmospheric pressure, liquid water is extracted from a subsurface water ice deposit by pumping superheated-supercritical fluid heated by a heater through an extraction well into the subsurface water ice deposit in order to form a liquid water reservoir. Liquid water is pumped from the liquid water reservoir through the extraction well to the buffer tank. The liquid water is pumped from the buffer tank into a high pressure feeder system (HPFS) and a low pressure feeder system (LPFS), which are each also heated by the heater. The HPFS outputs supercritical water and the LPFS outputs flash steam into a combined injector and the mixture is injected into a turbine at near environmental pressure. This mixture explosively expands into superheated steam and passes through the turbine, powering an electrical generator.

In a method of hybrid power generation in an environment with a gas pressure below the earth's atmospheric pressure, liquid water is extracted from a subsurface water ice deposit by pumping superheated-supercritical fluid heated by a heater through an extraction well into the subsurface water ice deposit in order to form a liquid water reservoir. Liquid water is pumped from the liquid water reservoir through the extraction well to the buffer tank. The liquid water is pumped from the buffer tank into a high pressure feeder system (HPFS) and a low pressure feeder system (LPFS), which are each also heated by the heater. The HPFS outputs supercritical water and the LPFS outputs flash steam into a combined injector and the mixture is injected into a turbine at near environmental pressure. This mixture explosively expands into superheated steam and passes through the turbine, powering an electrical generator.