Patent ID: 7069726

Claim:
A thermal power process comprising: firstly effecting a first thermodynamic change of state of a process fluid from a first thermodynamic state to a second thermodynamic state, including compressing the process fluid; secondly effecting a second thermodynamic change of state of the process fluid from the second thermodynamic state to a third thermodynamic state including supplying heat to the compressed process fluid, with the heat being supplied indirectly by a heat exchange process; thirdly effecting a third thermodynamic chance of state of the process fluid from the third thermodynamic state to a fourth thermodynamic state, including expanding the process fluid; fourthly effecting a fourth thermodynamic change of state of the process fluid from the fourth thermodynamic state to the first thermodynamic state, including dissipating heat from the expanded process fluid in at least one heat sink; completely returning the process fluid to the compression process such that the process fluid is guided in a completely closed cycle without undergoing a phase change; introducing an amount of steam into the process fluid; expanding said amount of steam together with the compressed process fluid; substantially condensing said steam in one of said at least one heat sink; separating said condensed steam as condensate from the process fluid; evaporating said condensate; introducing the steam resulting from said evaporating into the process fluid; wherein said evaporating of the condensate occurs with heat dissipated from one of the at least one heat sink, wherein an amount of steam is generated with live steam pressure, and wherein said amount of steam is added to the completely compressed process fluid prior to said expanding.