A new and innovative power and treated water co-generation system is provided that includes a modified Kalina cycle and a forward osmosis (FO) membrane. The Kalina cycle of the provided system is used for power production, whereas the system's FO process is used for water production. The provided system modifies a typical Kalina cycle to include a more efficient and relatively low-temperature heat source, while still utilizing the same working fluid, which is ammonia-water. The draw solution for the provided system's FO process is also ammonia-water, which is known and efficient for desalination and wastewater treatment. In some aspects, the working fluid of the system may be a specific ammonia-water composition including between 30-95% ammonia. The presently disclosed system combines the Kalina process and the FO process into an improved and innovative heat integration system to minimize energy requirements and enable operation at both small and large scales.

An engine assembly is provided with a split-cycle internal combustion engine having a compression section and an expansion section and with a cooling circuit for circulating a heat-exchange fluid; said fluid has a boiling temperature such that at least a fraction of the fluid changes phase from liquid to vapour flowing through the expansion section of the engine, when the latter operates in steady conditions; the circuit comprises a turbine arranged downstream of the engine so as to receive vapour and produce mechanical energy from the expansion of the vapour.

The reversed single-working-medium vapor combined cycle of the present invitation belongs to the field of thermodynamics, refrigeration and heat pump. A reversed single-working-medium vapor combined cycle method consists of seven processes which are conducted with M.sub.1 kg of working medium and M.sub.2 kg of working medium separately or jointly: a heat-absorption vaporization process 1-2 of the M.sub.1 kg of working medium, a heat-absorption process 2-3 of the (M.sub.1+M.sub.2) kg of working medium, a pressurization process 3-4 of the (M.sub.1+M.sub.2) kg of working medium, a heat-releasing process 4-5 of the (M.sub.1+M.sub.2) kg of working medium, a depressurization process 5-2 of the M.sub.2 kg of working medium, a heat-releasing and condensation process 5-6 of the M.sub.1 kg of working medium, a depressurization process 6-1 of the M.sub.1 kg of working medium.

A method for extracting and storing, respectively, energy in the form of concentration gradients wherein a process of extracting energy comprising the steps of feeding stored gaseous working medium into a working volume (2), compressing the working medium in the working volume (2), spraying a dilute solution into the working volume (2) before or during compression, increasing the temperature of the working medium fed in the working volume (2) by compression, evaporating the dilute solution with the working medium of increased temperature, removing heat from the working medium by the evaporating solution, keeping the heat extracted from the working medium in the form of latent heat of the vapor in the working volume (2), further increasing the temperature of the working medium until the partial pressure of the vapor in it approaches the vapor pressure of a solution of higher concentration at a corresponding temperature, spraying a solution of higher concentration of a vapor pressure of up to 60% of the vapor pressure of the dilute solution into the working medium of an expanding and high solvent vapor content, condensing the vapor in the working volume (2) onto solution droplets of the atomized solution and thereby heating the solution droplets, transferring the heat energy of the heated solution droplets to the working medium through contact surfaces of the solution and the working medium, feeding the heat previously conveyed to the dilute solution vapor during the compression back into the working medium plus as much heat as the condensation heat of the warmer vapor to the solution of higher concentration exceeds the heat of evaporation of the dilute solution, using the heat thus fed for performing work by the expansion of the working medium, obtaining the work performed by the working medium, removing the working medium and the solution from the working volume (2) after the gaseous working medium of low relative humidity is getting into a state near to its initial state, separating the working medium and the solution and returning the working medium to a container (7) for working medium and returning the slightly diluted solution of higher concentration to one of a container (11) for solution of higher concentrations and an additional intermediate container (24). The invention also relates to an apparatus for implementing the method. The invention can be used in all fields, where electric or mechanical energy should be stored for later use, but especially for leveling out the production and consumption differences on electrical power grids.

The invention relates to a method for increasing the efficiency of a turbomachine, wherein a fluid guided through the turbomachine transfers kinetic energy to the turbomachine. The object of the invention is to increase the efficiency of a turbomachine. This object is achieved in that the fluid or at least one fluid component of the fluid is compressible, and that the flow velocity of the fluid reduced in the turbomachine (1) during the transfer of kinetic energy is increased directly downstream of the turbomachine (1) by a force F.sub.B generated by means of a force field and acting in the direction of flow, by converting potential energy of the fluid into kinetic energy of the fluid to such an extent that the pressure of the fluid, which is reduced in the turbomachine (1), is thereby increased again to at least 0.1 times the pressure of the fluid upstream of the turbomachine (1). (FIG. 2)

In a thermodynamic cycle with at least one first heat exchanger for creating a first heated or partially evaporated working medium flow by heating or partially evaporating a liquid working medium flow by heat transmission from an expanded working medium flow; a second heat exchanger for creating a second at least partially evaporated working medium flow; a separator for separating a liquid from a vaporous phase of the second flow; and an expansion device for creating an expanded vaporous phase, pressure pulsations are prevented during the start-up of the cycle in that the vaporous phase separated by the separator is conducted past the expansion device and the first heat exchanger. The liquid phase separated by the separator is cooled in the first heat exchanger by heat transfer to the liquid flow. After the first heat exchanger, the cooled, separated, liquid phase and the separated vaporous phase are brought together.

In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a system to create vapor for generating electric power. The system includes a vessel comprising a fluid and a complex and a turbine. The vessel of the system is configured to concentrate EM radiation received from an EM radiation source. The vessel of the system is further configured to apply the EM radiation to the complex, where the complex absorbs the EM radiation to generate heat. The vessel of the system is also configured to transform, using the heat generated by the complex, the fluid to vapor. The vessel of the system is further configured to sending the vapor to a turbine. The turbine of the system is configured to receive, from the vessel, the vapor used to generate the electric power.

A cooling system containing a two-phase refrigerant that comprises a condenser, an evaporator and a conveying device. The evaporator is integrated in a heat source or thermally coupled thereto. Gaseous refrigerant from the evaporator is expanded in an expander, converted into mechanical energy and used to drive a generator for generation of electricity. Furthermore, an aircraft comprising a cooling system, wherein an electrical drive is supplied with electricity from a fuel cell, cooled using the cooling system, and the generator of the cooling system.

A system for the generation of mechanical or electrical energy from heat energy, where increasing a height or pressure in a liquid chamber of the system containing a liquid increases an efficiency of the system up to a hundred percent or increases such efficiency until a critical temperature or pressure of the vapor (gas) is reached at the bottom of liquid chamber or in the boiler of the system depending upon the increment in height, pressure and the type of liquid used in the system. An increase in height of the system for such increased efficiency can be adjusted to a smaller height by maintaining a series of liquid and gas chambers where the vapor flows through the series of chambers or by adding pressure valves. The heat energy from high to low temperature sources can be convened to mechanical and electrical energy.

A method for extracting and storing, respectively, energy in the form of concentration gradients wherein a process of extracting energy comprising the steps of feeding stored gaseous working medium into a working volume (2), compressing the working medium in the working volume (2), spraying a dilute solution into the working volume (2) before or during compression, increasing the temperature of the working medium fed in the working volume (2) by compression, evaporating the dilute solution with the working medium of increased temperature, removing heat from the working medium by the evaporating solution, keeping the heat extracted from the working medium in the form of latent heat of the vapor in the working volume (2), further increasing the temperature of the working medium until the partial pressure of the vapor in it approaches the vapor pressure of a solution of higher concentration at a corresponding temperature, spraying a solution of higher concentration of a vapor pressure of up to 60% of the vapor pressure of the dilute solution into the working medium of an expanding and high solvent vapor content, condensing the vapor in the working volume (2) onto solution droplets of the atomized solution and thereby heating the solution droplets, transferring the heat energy of the heated solution droplets to the working medium through contact surfaces of the solution and the working medium, feeding the heat previously conveyed to the dilute solution vapor during the compression back into the working medium plus as much heat as the condensation heat of the warmer vapor to the solution of higher concentration exceeds the heat of evaporation of the dilute solution, using the heat thus fed for performing work by the expansion of the working medium, obtaining the work performed by the working medium, removing the working medium and the solution from the working volume (2) after the gaseous working medium of low relative humidity is getting into a state near to its initial state, separating the working medium and the solution and returning the working medium to a container (7) for working medium and returning the slightly diluted solution of higher concentration to one of a container (11) for solution of higher concentrations and an additional intermediate container (24).

The invention also relates to an apparatus for implementing the method.

The invention can be used in all fields, where electric or mechanical energy should be stored for later use, but especially for leveling out the production and consumption differences on electrical power grids.