Patent ID: 8539771

Claim:
A method of generating power, the method comprising: providing a thermodynamic engine configured to convert heat provided in the form of a temperature difference to a nonheat form of energy; directing heat through a heating loop in thermal contact with a first side of the thermodynamic engine; directing heat from the heating loop to a supplementary heater and a thermal storage device; coupling a second side of the thermodynamic engine different from the first side to an environmental cooling loop in thermal contact with an environmental cooler; operating the thermodynamic engine to dispense heat from the second side of the thermodynamic engine through the environmental cooling loop into the environmental cooler, wherein operation of the thermodynamic engine generates the nonheat form of energy from the temperature difference thereby established between the first side and the second side of the thermodynamic engine; and modifying a relative distribution of heat directed through the heating loop, stored in the thermal storage, and directed to the supplementary heater.