Patent ID: 9482117
Filing Date: 2016-11-01
CPC Classification: F01D,F01K,F25B,G05D,Y02E

Claim Text:
1. A power plant comprising: a thermodynamic piping circuit having a working fluid contained therein, the working fluid having a flow direction and a flow rate; power plant components interposed in the thermodynamic piping circuit, the power plant components including a compressor system, a recuperator, a heat source, a turbine system, a first heat exchanger, and a thermal energy storage system including a reservoir configured to contain therein a thermal energy storage medium, a second heat exchanger configured to transfer heat between the working fluid and the thermal energy storage medium contained in the reservoir, and an expansion device configured to further expand the working fluid from the first heat exchanger and provide the further expanded working fluid to the second heat exchanger; and a valving system operable to selectively couple the first heat exchanger, the thermal energy storage system, and the compressor system in thermohydraulic communication with the working fluid maintaining the flow direction and the flow rate to implement a thermodynamic cycle chosen from a Brayton cycle, a combination Brayton cycle/refrigeration cycle operable to freeze at least a portion of the thermal energy storage medium, and a Rankine cycle operable to melt at least a portion of frozen thermal energy storage medium.