The present disclosure provides pumped thermal energy storage systems that can be used to store and extract electrical energy. A pumped thermal energy storage system of the present disclosure can store energy by operating as a heat pump or refrigerator, whereby net work input can be used to transfer heat from the cold side to the hot side. A working fluid of the system is capable of efficient heat exchange with heat storage fluids on a hot side of the system and on a cold side of the system. The system can extract energy by operating as a heat engine transferring heat from the hot side to the cold side, which can result in net work output.

An energy storage plant includes a casing for the storage of a working fluid other than atmospheric air, in a gaseous phase and in equilibrium of pressure with the atmosphere; a tank for the storage of said working fluid in a liquid or supercritical phase with a temperature close to the critical temperature; wherein said critical temperature is close to the ambient temperature. The plant is configured to carry out a closed thermodynamic cyclic transformation, first in one direction in a charge configuration and then in the opposite direction in a discharge configuration, between said casing and said tank; wherein in the charge configuration the plant stores heat and pressure and in the discharge configuration generates energy.

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.

An energy storage plant includes a casing for the storage of a working fluid other than atmospheric air, in a gaseous phase and in equilibrium of pressure with the atmosphere; a tank for the storage of said working fluid in a liquid or supercritical phase with a temperature close to the critical temperature; wherein said critical temperature is close to the ambient temperature. The plant is configured to carry out a closed thermodynamic cyclic transformation, first in one direction in a charge configuration and then in the opposite direction in a discharge configuration, between said casing and said tank; wherein in the charge configuration the plant stores heat and pressure and in the discharge configuration generates energy.

A closed loop steam engine assembly includes a steam generator and a prime mover which is driven from steam produced by the generator. A compressor receives exhaust steam from the prime mover and compresses the steam to a liquid state which is stored in a reservoir downstream of the compressor. A feed pump delivers a portion of the compressed and heated liquid from the reservoir to the steam generator, while another portion of the liquid is delivered to an inlet of the compressor, where the liquid flashes to mist and combines with the incoming exhaust steam to help condense the exhaust steam to liquid with greater efficiency than the compressor alone. An oil/fluid separation device may segregate any oil contained in the exhaust stream and route the oil back to an oil inlet of the prime mover.

A supercritical carbon dioxide power generation Brayton cycle system and method that employs an alternate heat recuperation method and apparatus that utilizes switched banks of bead filled tanks to accumulate and recover the thermal energy of the two streams of working fluid in such a way that the variable thermal properties of the supercritical carbon dioxide can be accommodated without significant loss of thermal efficiency.

An energy storage plant includes a casing for the storage of a working fluid other than atmospheric air, in a gaseous phase and in equilibrium of pressure with the atmosphere; a tank for the storage of said working fluid in a liquid or supercritical phase with a temperature close to the critical temperature; wherein said critical temperature is close to the ambient temperature. The plant is configured to carry out a closed thermodynamic cyclic transformation, first in one direction in a charge configuration and then in the opposite direction in a discharge configuration, between said casing and said tank; wherein in the charge configuration the plant stores heat and pressure and in the discharge configuration generates energy.

A system includes a rotary liquid piston compressor configured to exchange pressure between a liquid and a supercritical fluid. The rotary liquid piston compressor includes a rotor configured to exchange pressure between the liquid and the supercritical fluid as the rotor rotates. The rotor defines channels that extend through the rotor. The rotary liquid piston compressor further includes barriers configured to block mixing between the liquid and the supercritical fluid. The barriers rest within the rotor. Each channel of the channels is configured to receive a barrier of the barriers.

An energy storage plant includes a casing for the storage of a working fluid other than atmospheric air, in a gaseous phase and in equilibrium of pressure with the atmosphere; a tank for the storage of said working fluid in a liquid or supercritical phase with a temperature close to the critical temperature; wherein said critical temperature is close to the ambient temperature. The plant is configured to carry out a closed thermodynamic cyclic transformation, first in one direction in a charge configuration and then in the opposite direction in a discharge configuration, between said casing and said tank; wherein in the charge configuration the plant stores heat and pressure and in the discharge configuration generates energy.

A rotary liquid piston compressor and a power generation system including a first fluid loop. The first fluid loop includes a pump that circulates a liquid. A second fluid loop that generates power by circulating a supercritical fluid. The second fluid loop includes a turbine that rotates and powers a generator as the supercritical fluid flows through the turbine. A rotary liquid piston compressor fluidly coupled to the first fluid loop and the second fluid loop. The rotary liquid piston compressor exchanges pressure between the liquid circulating in the first fluid loop and the supercritical fluid circulating in the second fluid loop.