An apparatus providing mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion generates electrical current by moving a conductive fluid in the presence of magnetic field. The motion of the fluid is induced by a mechanical energy source and the generated electrical current is directed to a useful load. The proposed apparatus utilizes a conductive fluid as a “liquid rotor” has substantially different radial velocity distribution than the conventional, prior art solid rotor. The apparatus includes an inverter, controlled by the flow of the conductive fluid, to generate a train of pulses as an output, where the pulses are used by an associated transformer to provide an AC output voltage.

A damping system for a heave compensator for an off-shore oil rig includes a hydraulic cylinder having a piston and a housing. The hydraulic cylinder is configured for accepting a hydraulic fluid. There is a flow passage for restricting the flow of the hydraulic fluid during movement of the piston in the housing. The hydraulic fluid is a magnetic fluid and the damping system includes a magnetic fluid management system for controlling a magnetic field at the flow passage. A heave compensator including such a damping system, and a method for controlling the damping of a heave compensator are also disclosed, the method including subjecting a magnetic fluid to a magnetic field at a flow passage for restricting the flow of the magnetic fluid.

Low cost Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (PHES) sites have already been exploited; new PHES sites now cost $2 million per MW. A very large number of sites exist, not only on the coast but all over the land mass of all continents, that have an altitude difference of 100 m between two levels, where 1 to 5 million tonnes of solid can solid can safely be stored at both high and low levels. Thus solids like sand, crushed rock and soil can be used to provide virtually unlimited gravitational energy storage. Pumping slurry of solid/water to an upper level creates energy storage. When required, solid in slurry form flows down to the lower level, through a turbine. The turbine runs a generator releasing electrical energy. A relatively small amount water is recycled indefinitely create more slurry and transfer solid up/down as needed making solid pumped hydro feasible even in deserts.

An apparatus providing mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion generates electrical current by moving a conductive fluid in the presence of magnetic field. The motion of the fluid is induced by a mechanical energy source and the generated electrical current is directed to a useful load. The proposed apparatus utilizes a conductive fluid as a liquid rotor has substantially different radial velocity distribution than the conventional, prior art solid rotor. The apparatus includes an inverter. controlled by the flow of the conductive fluid, to generate a train of pulses as an output, where the pulses are used by an associated transformer to provide an AC output voltage.

Systems and methods for power recovery in carbon capture and storage applications are provided. Such systems and methods include ESP systems including permanent magnet motors (PMM) or induction motors (IM). Systems and methods for power generation including permanent magnet motor electric submersible pumps are also provided.

The combined pump and energy recovery turbine includes at least one fluid flow pressurizing a sliding vane pump and a sliding vane energy recovery turbine that recovers energy from a second fluid flow, such as the brine discharge from an RO seawater desalination system. A cylindrical rotor has two sliding vanes in respective slots, the rotor being concentrically disposed within an oval-shaped enclosure defining two mirror image crescent-shaped chambers, each chamber having inlet and outlet passageways. The first chamber pressurizes the first fluid flow, and the second chamber functions as a second outflow-driven energy recovery turbine, thus enabling the single rotor device to operate as a pressurizing pump on the first fluid flow, and second outflow-driven energy recovery turbine recovering energy from the pressure drop in the second fluid flow.

A turbine with rotary blades includes a stator, a rotor rotational about an axis of the turbine and rotational blades evenly spaced around a circumference of the rotor. The turbine includes a pressure chamber circumscribed by a slot and a sealing chamber between which an inlet channel for a medium supply leads into the pressure chamber. The slot, the sealing chamber and the blades are adapted to permanently seal both the slot and the sealing chamber with at least one blade. The rotation of the blades can be ensured by a toothed gear, wherein angular speed of the blades is an integer multiple of the angular speed of the rotor. The blades may have a front wall and a rear wall of approximately conical or cylindrical shape.