Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A power generation system, comprising:a power source comprising an input and an output;a thermal/electrical power converter including a compressor with an output coupled to said input of said power source;a power plant with an input coupled to an output of said thermal/electrical power converter, wherein said thermal/electrical power converter and said power plant are configured to convert thermal power produced at said output of said power source into electricity; andan inert gas reservoir tank coupled to an input of said compressor via a reservoir tank control valve and to said output of said compressor via another reservoir tank control valve. 2. The power generation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a counterflow heat exchanger with an input coupled to said output of said power source, and an output coupled to an input of a gas turbine of said thermal/electrical power converter. 3. The power generation system as recited in claim 2 wherein said power source is an inert gas power source that provides a first inert gas to said input of said counterflow heat exchanger to transfer thermal energy to a second inert gas at said output of said counterflow heat exchanger. 4. The power generation system as recited in claim 3 wherein said first inert gas is helium and said second inert gas is argon or a mixture of argon and helium. 5. The power generation system as recited in claim 3 further comprising a circulating pump configured to circulate said first inert gas between said inert gas power source and said counterflow heat exchanger. 6. The power generation system as recited in claim 5 further comprising a filter coupled between another output of said counterflow heat exchanger and an input of said circulating pump. 7. The power generation system as recited in claim 3 further comprising another inert gas reservoir tank coupled to said inert gas power source. 8. The power generation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a heat exchanger having an input coupled to an output of a gas turbine, an output coupled to said input of said compressor, and said output of said heat exchanger coupled to said power plant. 9. The power generation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said thermal/electrical power converter and said power plant are thermally coupled in series and electrically coupled in parallel. 10. The power generation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said power source comprises fossil fuel. 11. A method, comprising:providing a power source comprising an input and an output;coupling said input of said power source to an output of a compressor of a thermal/electrical power converter;coupling an output of said thermal/electrical power converter to an input of a power plant, wherein said thermal/electrical power converter and said power plant are configured to convert thermal power produced at said output of said power source into electricity; andcoupling an inert gas reservoir tank to an input of said compressor via a reservoir tank control valve and to said output of said compressor via another reservoir tank control valve. 12. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising coupling said output of said power source to an input of a counterflow heat exchanger, coupling an output of said counterflow heat exchanger to an input of a gas turbine of said thermal/electrical power converter. 13. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein said power source is an inert gas power source and further comprising providing a first inert gas to said input of said counterflow heat exchanger to transfer thermal energy to a second inert gas at said output of said counterflow heat exchanger. 14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said first inert gas is helium and said second inert gas is argon or a mixture of argon and helium. 15. The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising circulating said first inert gas between said inert gas power source and said counterflow heat exchanger. 16. The method as recited in claim 15 further comprising coupling another output of said counterflow heat exchanger to an input of said circulating pump via a filter. 17. The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising coupling another inert gas reservoir tank to said inert gas power source. 18. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:coupling an input of a heat exchanger to an output of a gas turbine,coupling an output of said heat exchanger to said input of said compressor, andcoupling said output of said heat exchanger to said power plant. 19. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said thermal/electrical power converter and said power plant are thermally coupled in series and electrically coupled in parallel. 20. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said power source comprises fossil fuel.