The present disclosure teaches a system and method of generating electricity via a thermal power plant. The system and method includes a fuel heating chamber configured to receive a nano-thermite fuel, an induction assembly configured to inductively heat the fuel in the fuel heating chamber, and an electricity generating subsystem configured to convert heat from the heated nano-thermite fuel into electricity.

The present invention relates to a method for operating a fluidized bed apparatus and to a fluidized bed apparatus, the method comprising the following steps: providing particulate metal to a reaction chamber of a fluidized bed reactor, providing an oxidizing agent to a fluidizing bottom of the fluidized bed reactor such that particulate matter comprising the particulate metal is fluidized, wherein the particulate metal reacts with the oxidizing agent to particulate metal oxide, withdrawing particulate metal oxide from the reaction chamber, storing the withdrawn particulate metal oxide, providing particulate metal oxide to the reaction chamber of the fluidized bed reactor, providing a reducing agent containing gas to the fluidizing bottom of the fluidized bed reactor such that particulate matter comprising the particulate metal oxide is fluidized, wherein the particulate metal oxide reacts with the reducing agent to particulate metal, withdrawing the particulate metal from the reaction chamber, storing the withdrawn particulate metal.

A system and method for inductive heating of dispersed metallic particles is provided. The method includes: providing a particle-laden flow comprising a carrier phase comprising a carrier fluid and a dispersed phase comprising the dispersed metallic particles; exposing the dispersed metallic particles to a magnetic field for heating the dispersed metallic particles via at least one of hysteresis and Joules heating mechanisms; inductively heating the dispersed metallic particles in the particle-laden flow via the magnetic field; and controlling a flow configuration of the particle-laden flow by adjusting a flow parameter, the flow parameter being any one or more of an induction heating timescale, a particle thermal timescale, a heat diffusion in the carrier phase, and a particle clustering of the dispersed metallic particles.

Various configurations of a power plant are described. The power plant is configured to supply power to a receiving electrical grid by the combustion of metal powder. The power plant is also configured absorb power by recovering the metal powder from the metal oxide produced by the combustion of the metal powder, with electricity from a source electrical grid.

The present disclosure relates to a method of generating energy. The teachings thereof may be embodied in a method comprising: atomizing an electropositive metal; combusting the metal with a reaction gas; mixing the resulting combustion products with water, or an aqueous solution, or a suspension of a salt of the metal; separating a resulting mixture into (a) solid and liquid constituents and (b) gaseous constituents; at least partly converting energy from the separated constituents. Mixing the combustion products may include: atomizing liquid or gaseous water; or atomizing or nebulizing an aqueous solution or a suspension of a salt of the electropositive metal, into the reacted mixture.

A power generator is described that provides at least one of electrical and thermal power comprising (i) at least one reaction cell for reactions involving atomic hydrogen hydrogen products identifiable by unique analytical and spectroscopic signatures, (ii) a molten metal injection system comprising at least one pump such as an electromagnetic pump that provides a molten metal stream to the reaction cell and at least one reservoir that receives the molten metal stream, and (iii) an ignition system comprising an electrical power source that provides low-voltage, high-current electrical energy to the at least one steam of molten metal to ignite a plasma to initiate rapid kinetics of the reaction and an energy gain. In some embodiments, the power generator may comprise: (v) a source of H.sub.2 and O.sub.2 supplied to the plasma, (vi) a molten metal recovery system, and (vii) a power converter capable of (a) converting the high-power light output from a blackbody radiator of the cell into electricity using concentrator thermophotovoltaic cells or (b) converting the energetic plasma into electricity using a magnetohydrodynamic converter.

The present invention relates to a method for operating a fluidized bed apparatus and to a fluidized bed apparatus, the method comprising the following steps: providing particulate metal to a reaction chamber of a fluidized bed reactor, providing an oxidizing agent to a fluidizing bottom of the fluidized bed reactor such that particulate matter comprising the particulate metal is fluidized, wherein the particulate metal reacts with the oxidizing agent to particulate metal oxide, withdrawing particulate metal oxide from the reaction chamber, storing the withdrawn particulate metal oxide, providing particulate metal oxide to the reaction chamber of the fluidized bed reactor, providing a reducing agent containing gas to the fluidizing bottom of the fluidized bed reactor such that particulate matter comprising the particulate metal oxide is fluidized, wherein the particulate metal oxide reacts with the reducing agent to particulate metal, withdrawing the particulate metal from the reaction chamber, storing the withdrawn particulate metal.

A downhole torch system and method of use includes a cylindrical housing, a protective material provided on at least one of the cylindrical housing and the fuel load, and a fuel load located within the cylindrical housing. The protective material is provided between the fuel load and the cylindrical housing to protect the cylindrical housing from adverse effects caused by the reaction of the burning fuel and/or the subsequent production of combustion products for cutting and/or perforating processes during operation of the torch system. The protective material significantly improves the cutting and/or perforating performance of the torch system.

A system and method of combusting aluminium comprising i) feeding aluminium wire to a substantially oxygen-free furnace comprising a. a first low-temperature section in communication with b. a second high-temperature section ii) forming aluminium particles with an average particle size ranging from 1 .Math. to 200 .Math. from said aluminium wire in said first section iii) feeding water and/or steam to said first and/or second section to provide an oxidizer for oxidizing said aluminium particles in the second section iv) conveying aluminium particles from the first section to the second section v) oxidizing said aluminium particles in the presence of steam in said second section.

A downhole torch system and method of use includes a cylindrical housing, a protective material provided on at least one of the cylindrical housing and the fuel load, and a fuel load located within the cylindrical housing. The protective material is provided between the fuel load and the cylindrical housing to protect the cylindrical housing from adverse effects caused by the reaction of the burning fuel and/or the subsequent production of combustion products for cutting and/or perforating processes during operation of the torch system. The protective material significantly improves the cutting and/or perforating performance of the torch system.