A thermal energy storage system comprising a working fluid to store and transfer thermal energy between a heat source and a thermal load and a vessel to store the working fluid. The vessel has an interior region and a floating separator piston in the interior region to separate a hot portion from a cold portion of the working fluid. There is a first manifold thermally coupled to an output of the heat source and to an input of the thermal load and fluidly coupled to the interior region of the vessel and a second manifold thermally coupled to an input of the heat source and an output of the thermal load and fluidly coupled to the interior region of the vessel. There is a controller configured to maintain the working fluid in a liquid state.

A thermal energy storage system comprising a working fluid to store and transfer thermal energy between a heat source and a thermal load and a vessel to store the working fluid. The vessel has an interior region and a floating separator piston in the interior region to separate a hot portion from a cold portion of the working fluid. There is a first manifold thermally coupled to an output of the heat source and to an input of the thermal load and fluidly coupled to the interior region of the vessel and a second manifold thermally coupled to an input of the heat source and an output of the thermal load and fluidly coupled to the interior region of the vessel. There is a controller configured to maintain the working fluid in a liquid state.

The invention relates mainly to a pumping system (1) which comprises an alternating distribution device comprising at least one shut-off device (7) comprising four mobile shut-off members (70-73) for shutting off first and second inlets (E1, E2; E1a, E2a) and first and second outlets (S1, S2; S1a, S2a) of the pumping system (1) and at least one trigger (8, 9) configured to actuate said shut-off members (70-73) between two positions, respectively a shutting-off position and an open position, which alternating distribution device can be actuated between a first arrangement associated with a first fluid distribution cycle and a second arrangement associated with a second fluid distribution cycle.

The invention relates mainly to a pumping system (1) which comprises an alternating distribution device comprising at least one shut-off device (7) comprising four mobile shut-off members (70-73) for shutting off first and second inlets (E1, E2; E1a, E2a) and first and second outlets (S1, S2; S1a, S2a) of the pumping system (1) and at least one trigger (8, 9) configured to actuate said shut-off members (70-73) between two positions, respectively a shutting-off position and an open position, which alternating distribution device can be actuated between a first arrangement associated with a first fluid distribution cycle and a second arrangement associated with a second fluid distribution cycle.

An integrated housing containing a drive motor which is coupled to a pair of gears which are housed within a pump housing. There are a plurality of inflow-outflow openings which are located on opposite sides of the pump, outside of the centroid of the pump housing. A pump housing is continuous with a hydraulic cylinder. Fluid passage ways run through the integrated housing to control the integrated hydraulic cylinder. Valves within the integrated housing regulate fluid flow.

A thermal energy storage system comprising a working fluid to store and transfer thermal energy between a heat source and a thermal load and a vessel to store the working fluid. The vessel has an interior region and a floating separator piston in the interior region to separate a hot portion from a cold portion of the working fluid. There is a first manifold thermally coupled to an output of the heat source and to an input of the thermal load and fluidly coupled to the interior region of the vessel and a second manifold thermally coupled to an input of the heat source and an output of the thermal load and fluidly coupled to the interior region of the vessel. There is a controller configured to maintain the working fluid in a liquid state.

A thermal energy storage system comprising a working fluid to store and transfer thermal energy between a heat source and a thermal load and a vessel to store the working fluid. The vessel has an interior region and a floating separator piston in the interior region to separate a hot portion from a cold portion of the working fluid. There is a first manifold thermally coupled to an output of the heat source and to an input of the thermal load and fluidly coupled to the interior region of the vessel and a second manifold thermally coupled to an input of the heat source and an output of the thermal load and fluidly coupled to the interior region of the vessel. There is a controller configured to maintain the working fluid in a liquid state.

The present invention relates to a device which applies work to the outside with environmental thermal energy, including a positive feedback heat pump system and a reciprocating multi-stage heat exchange working system. A high temperature heat source and a low temperature heat source are produced using a positive feedback heat pump, and at the same time the reciprocating multistage heat exchange working device applies work with heat energy and cold energy. As we can get several times of heat energy and cold energy when a certain amount of electric energy is consumed by a heat pump, and the thermal efficiency of the reciprocating multistage heat exchange working system is 100% theoretically, so we can get several times of electric energy. That is to say, its output is much bigger than its input, and the device can run without electric energy input, and provide electric energy to the outside.

The reversible hydraulic pressure converter (1) employing tubular valves includes a medium-pressure stage (44) consisting of a medium-pressure cylinder (2) and a double-acting medium-pressure piston (3) the position of which is sent to a control computer of the converter (19) by a piston position sensor (14), the cylinder (2) and the piston (3) forming two medium-pressure chambers (5) that can be placed in communication with a medium-pressure inlet-outlet circuit (15) by at least one tubular valve (12), the converter (1) also including two high-pressure cylinders (9) each cooperating with a high-pressure piston (8) of smaller diameter and defining two high-pressure chambers (11) that can be placed in communication with a high-pressure inlet-outlet circuit (16) by at least one tubular valve (12), each of the various tubular valves (12) cooperating with an independent valve actuator (13).

A plunger pump or plunger motor includes a block accommodating a first cylindrical chamber and a plunger movable in this chamber and a drive shaft connected to this plunger, as well as a second cylindrical chamber and a control valve movable in this second cylindrical chamber. Holes O.sub.3 and O.sub.4 can alternately be brought into communication with the connection for the delivery pipe by the plunger and with a connecting hole for a pressure line. The control valve can establish a communication between the hole O.sub.2 and the connecting hole. The drive shaft is connected to a further plunger which is movable in a third cylindrical chamber in which there is a suction hole or delivery hole. The control valve can alternately establish a communication between the suction hole or delivery hole with a connecting hole for a suction pipe and the connecting hole for the pressure line.