Method for driving machines, in an ethylene plant steam generation circuit, the method including recovering heat as high pressure steam from a cracking furnace; providing said high pressure steam to at least one steam turbine, wherein the steam turbine is configured to drive a machine, such as a process compressor; condensing at least part of the high pressure steam in a condenser; pumping condensed steam as boiler feed water back to the cracking furnace.

Method for driving machines, in an ethylene plant steam generation circuit, the method including recovering heat as high pressure steam from a cracking furnace; providing said high pressure steam to at least one steam turbine, wherein the steam turbine is configured to drive a machine, such as a process compressor; condensing at least part of the high pressure steam in a condenser; pumping condensed steam as boiler feed water back to the cracking furnace.

Systems and generating power in an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) operation to supply electrical power. In embodiments, an inlet temperature of a flow of gas from a source to an ORC unit may be determined. The source may connect to a main pipeline. The main pipeline may connect to a supply pipeline. The supply pipeline may connect to the ORC unit thereby to allow gas to flow from the source to the ORC unit. Heat from the flow of gas may cause the ORC unit to generate electrical power. The outlet temperature of the flow of the gas from the ORC unit to a return pipe may be determined. A flow of working fluid may be adjusted to a percentage sufficient to maintain temperature of the flow of compressed gas within the selected operating temperature range.

Systems and generating power in an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) operation to supply electrical power. In embodiments, an inlet temperature of a flow of gas from a source to an ORC unit may be determined. The source may connect to a main pipeline. The main pipeline may connect to a supply pipeline. The supply pipeline may connect to the ORC unit thereby to allow gas to flow from the source to the ORC unit. Heat from the flow of gas may cause the ORC unit to generate electrical power. The outlet temperature of the flow of the gas from the ORC unit to a return pipe may be determined. A flow of working fluid may be adjusted to a percentage sufficient to maintain temperature of the flow of compressed gas within the selected operating temperature range.

Operating coal fired energy systems. A method of operating a coal fired energy system comprises operating a coal fired steam generator comprising a coal feed system and a main air feed system to provide a coal-air mixture as a heating source for a boiler for generating steam. The method includes operating an auxiliary air compression system comprising a fueled engine coupled to a compressor for providing an auxiliary supply of compressed air to a soot blower of the coal-fired steam generator. The method comprises injecting the auxiliary supply of compressed air along walls of the boiler to remove soot and ash buildup from the boiler.

An energy generation system for converting combustible fluid from a nontraditional combustible fluid source to useable energy. The energy generation system including a fluid storage system including a compressor and at least one storage tank, the compressor configured to pressurize a combustible fluid from a combustible fluid source for storage in the one or more storage tanks; and an energy recovery system configured to receive the combustible fluid from the at least one storage tank, the energy recovery system including: a turboexpander configured to depressurize the combustible fluid received from the at least one storage tank; a motor-generator configured to input the combustible fluid as depressurized by the turboexpander, and generate electrical energy from the combustible fluid; and an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system configured to generate electrical energy based on a temperature differential between the combustible fluid input to the motor-generator and a waste heat produced by the motor-generator.

An energy generation system for converting combustible fluid from a nontraditional combustible fluid source to useable energy. The energy generation system including a fluid storage system including a compressor and at least one storage tank, the compressor configured to pressurize a combustible fluid from a combustible fluid source for storage in the one or more storage tanks; and an energy recovery system configured to receive the combustible fluid from the at least one storage tank, the energy recovery system including: a turboexpander configured to depressurize the combustible fluid received from the at least one storage tank; a motor-generator configured to input the combustible fluid as depressurized by the turboexpander, and generate electrical energy from the combustible fluid; and an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system configured to generate electrical energy based on a temperature differential between the combustible fluid input to the motor-generator and a waste heat produced by the motor-generator.

A heat engine including a compressor, an expander, a reactor in which first and second reactants in a working fluid can react with each other, the reactor arranged between the compressor and the expander, and a condenser for condensing a gas in the working fluid, the condenser arranged between the expander and the compressor. There is also provided a method of operating a heat engine.

A system for using excess energy of a power generation system and an sCO2 (supercritical carbon dioxide) stream to store and generate power. An air separation unit uses the excess energy to cool and liquify ambient air into liquid nitrogen (L-N2) and liquid oxygen (L-O2). The L-O2 and L-N2 are stored until energy is desired. An L-O2 energy discharge path has an oxygen heat exchanger that vaporizes and heats the oxygen, a combustor that combusts the oxygen and fuel to produce exhaust, and a first turbine is driven by the exhaust to produce energy. An L-N2 energy discharge path has a nitrogen heat exchanger that vaporizes and heats the L-N2, thereby providing expanded nitrogen, and a second turbine is driven by the expanded nitrogen to produce energy. Heat for the heat exchangers on both discharge paths is provided by the sCO2 stream.

A system for using excess energy of a power generation system and an sCO2 (supercritical carbon dioxide) stream to store and generate power. An air separation unit uses the excess energy to cool and liquify ambient air into liquid nitrogen (L-N2) and liquid oxygen (L-O2). The L-O2 and L-N2 are stored until energy is desired. An L-O2 energy discharge path has an oxygen heat exchanger that vaporizes and heats the oxygen, a combustor that combusts the oxygen and fuel to produce exhaust, and a first turbine is driven by the exhaust to produce energy. An L-N2 energy discharge path has a nitrogen heat exchanger that vaporizes and heats the L-N2, thereby providing expanded nitrogen, and a second turbine is driven by the expanded nitrogen to produce energy. Heat for the heat exchangers on both discharge paths is provided by the sCO2 stream.