Hybrid solar energy plant with heat-powered cooling

Abstract

A system may include a solar collector including a photovoltaic (PV) module, wherein the solar collector is configured to convert a first portion of sunlight to solar thermal energy and a second portion of the sunlight to solar electrical energy. A system may include a thermal cycle generator configured to generate electrical energy from a temperature difference between a hot working fluid and a cold working fluid, wherein the hot working fluid receives solar thermal energy from the solar collector. A system may include a heat driven refrigeration unit configured to receive at least a portion of the solar thermal energy via a hot working fluid to cool the cold working fluid.

Description

Docket No. IS25.0229TITLE HYBRID SOLAR ENERGY PLANT WITH HEAT-POWERED COOLINGCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims priority to and the benefit of Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2025905103 entitled “HYBRID SOLAR ENERGY PLANT WITH HEAT-POWERED COOLING” and filed October 27, 2025, and United States Provisional Patent Application No. 63,761,347 entitled “HYBRID SOLAR ENERGY PLANT WITH HEAT-POWERED COOLING” and filed February 21, 2025, the disclosure of both are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to energy generation and storage. The present disclosure relates particularly, although not exclusively, to electrical and thermal energy generation and storage. The present disclosure relates particularly, although not exclusively, to electrical and thermal energy generation from solar energy and storage of the electrical and thermal energy. The present disclosure relates particularly, although not exclusively, to electrical and thermal energy generation and storage from solar energy processed in a concentrated solar energy system. The present disclosure also relates particularly, although not exclusively, to electrical and thermal energy generation and storage from geothermal energy or energy from a datacenter or energy from a district heating network.BACKGROUND

[0003] Renewable energy usage is growing rapidly all the over the world as humanity tries to decarbonize sources of energy. However, the two most common forms of renewable energy, solar and wind, are intermittent. For these sources to provide a steady amount of energy throughout the day and night, energy storage is required. The energy storage can be electrical energy storage, thermal energy storage, or both.Docket No. IS25.0229SUMMARY

[0004] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system for providing electrical power, the system including a solar energy system, such as a concentrated solar energy system, the solar energy system including a solar collector, such as a photovoltaic (PV) module-based solar collector, wherein the solar collector is configured to convert a first portion of sunlight to solar thermal energy and a second portion of the sunlight to solar electrical energy; a thermal cycle generator configured to generate electrical energy from a temperature difference between a hot working fluid and a cold working fluid, wherein the hot working fluid receives solar thermal energy from the solar collector; and a heat driven refrigeration unit configured to receive at least a portion of the solar thermal energy via a hot working fluid to cool the cold working fluid.

[0005] It is noted that the term “solar collector” includes what can be described as a “solar thermal collector”.

[0006] The term “thermal cycle generator” is understood herein to mean a generator that converts a temperature differential between a heat source (such as a hot store) and a heat sink (such as a cold store) into other forms of energy including mechanical energy or thermal energy, which may be converted to electrical energy and exported to a power grid or to another end use application or stored in another form of energy storage, such as a short-term or long-term battery storage device.

[0007] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method of producing electricity, the method including: generating solar electrical power from solar energy, such as with a photovoltaic (PV) module-based solar collector; generating solar thermal energy from solar energy, such as with the photovoltaic (PV) module-based solar collector; storing the solar thermal energy in a hot energy storage (HES); cooling a cold energy storage (CES) with a heat driven refrigeration unit using heat from the HES; providing a hot working fluid from the HES and a cold working fluid from the CES to a thermal cycle generator; generating generator electrical power from the thermal cycle generator; and recycling the hot working fluid and the cold working fluid.

[0008] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system for providing electrical power, the system including: a geothermal well configured to provide geothermal heat to a hot working fluid; a thermal cycle generator configured to generate electrical energy from a temperature difference between the hot working fluid and a cold working fluid; and a heat driven refrigeration unit configured to receive a residual heat from the thermal cycle generator to cool the cold working fluid.Docket No. IS25.0229

[0009] The terms “geothermal well” and “geothermal heat” are understood herein to relate to the extraction of thermal energy from naturally occurring hot water, steam, or hot dry rock or other source located deep within the Earth’s crust, accessed through specialized boreholes (wells).

[0010] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0011] Additional features and aspects of embodiments of the disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of such embodiments. The features and aspects of such embodiments may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and other features will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims or may be learned by the practice of such embodiments as set forth hereinafter.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] In order to describe the manner in which the above-recited and other features of the disclosure can be obtained, a more particular description is rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. For better understanding, the like elements have been designated by like reference numbers throughout the various drawings. While some of the drawings may be schematic or exaggerated representations of concepts, nonschematic drawings should be considered as being to scale for some embodiments of the present disclosure, but not to scale for other embodiments contemplated herein. Understanding that the drawings depict some example embodiments, the embodiments are described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

[0013] FIG. l is a schematic representation of a known concentrated solar energy system.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a concentrated solar energy system with a heat driven refrigeration unit, according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a concentrated solar energy system with a heat driven refrigeration unit and an electrical refrigeration unit, according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure.Docket No. IS25.0229

[0016] FIG. 4-1 and 4-2 are schematic representations of a concentrated solar energy system configured to harvest supplemental heat from a datacenter and a geothermal well, according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of an absorption chiller, according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of an adsorption chiller, according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of generating electrical power with a concentrated solar energy system, according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 8-1 is a schematic representation of a geothermal system including a heat driven refrigeration unit, according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 8-2 is a schematic representation of the geothermal system of FIG. 8-1 including a cold energy storage.

[0022] FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of a concentrated solar energy system with a heat driven refrigeration unit, according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of a concentrated solar energy system with a heat driven refrigeration unit, according to at least some embodiments of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to energy generation and storage. More particularly, although not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to electrical and thermal energy generation and storage from solar energy.

[0025] Some renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, are intermittent energy sources and dependent on weather or time of day. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, at least a portion of the energy produced or captured is stored for later distribution or dispensation based on local or regional needs. Short-term energy storage is storage of energy (thermal, mechanical, electrical, chemical, etc.) for no more than 4 hours of time. For example, with current technology, lithium-ion batteries, on a large scale, become economically unviable for storage durations of greater than 4 hours. Lithium-ion batteries are generally used for short-term energy storage.Docket No. IS25.0229

[0026] Other forms of energy storage can be more economical on intermediate-term and / or longterm scales. For example, pumped hydrological energy storage allows for the conversion of available energy (such as during periods of sunlight or wind) to gravitational potential energy of a mass of water that is pumped vertically upward, such as to a reservoir uphill or into a tower. Thermal energy storage stores energy as heat and / or coolth. The term “coolth” is understood herein to mean thermal energy at a low temperature, typically less than ambient temperature.

[0027] Thermal energy storage can offer longer-term storage than lithium-ion batteries and provide additional integration with local and regional systems for distribution of the thermal energy, such as addition cooling or waste heat harvesting from a datacenter or a district heating network in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The term “district heating network” is understood herein to mean a centralized system that produces heat at a central facility and distributes it to multiple buildings for space heating and hot water or for other applications.

[0028] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, at least a portion of the thermal energy is converted to electrical energy through a thermal cycle generator (e.g., Kalina cycle, Rankine cycle). In some embodiments, at least a portion of the thermal energy is distributed to heat other devices and / or systems.

[0029] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods according to the present disclosure use a thermal cycle, such as an organic Rankine cycle (ORC), to convert a temperature difference into energy. A thermal cycle generator uses a difference in temperature to drive a heat-to-power engine through the expansion of a generator working fluid. This generator may be used to provide power to the grid when solar modules are unable to generate power (at nighttime or on cloudy days) or wind turbines are unable to turn.

[0030] As noted above, a thermal cycle generator converts a temperature differential between a high temperature heat source and a low-temperature heat sink into mechanical energy, which may be converted to electrical energy and exported to a power grid or stored in another form of energy storage, such as a short-term or long-term battery storage device. For example, the thermal storage may use a mass of fluid, such as water, that is heated (for the high temperature heat source) and a second mass of fluid, such as water, that is cooled (for the low-temperature heat sink). The present disclosure is not confined to the use of water as the thermal storage. For example, a high temperature thermal storage or heat source is maintained at or near the boiling temperature of water (or other fluid) and a low-temperature thermal storage is stored at or near the freezing temperatureDocket No. IS25.0229of water (or other fluid), such as in an ice slurry. In such examples, the temperature difference between the hot water and cold water storage is, therefore, at or near a maximum at atmospheric pressure.

[0031] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the low-temperature thermal storage is in thermal communication with a heat driven refrigeration unit. In some embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit is an absorption chiller. In some embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit is an adsorption chiller. Conventional low-temperature thermal storage is cooled by an electrically driven compressor refrigeration unit on a vapor compression cycle. However, in many solar collector systems (and systems and structures powered by and / or in thermal or electrical communication with the solar collector system) surplus heat is produced. In conventional systems, the surplus heat is exhausted to the ambient atmosphere, however, the surplus heat can be used to drive a heat driven refrigeration unit and cool the low-temperature thermal storage. A heat driven refrigeration unit in thermal communication with the low-temperature thermal storage and the high-temperature thermal storage may be used to consume heat to maintain or lower a temperature of the low-temperature thermal storage.

[0032] Thermal communication is, for example, when a heat sink is in direct contact with a heat source by convection, conductive, or radiative thermal transfer. In some embodiments, thermal communication is provided indirectly by a thermal transfer medium, such as a working fluid flowing through a fluid conduit between heat exchangers.

[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates such an example of a known system 100 including a thermal cycle generator (such as an ORC generator 102) for collection of solar electrical energy and solar thermal energy. Such a system associates the ORC generator 102 with a solar energy collector system. One or more mirrors 104 direct sunlight 106 onto a solar collector, including raised photovoltaic (PV) modules 108 supported by a PV module tower 110, that are actively cooled by water circulated through the PV module tower 110. The PV modules 108 convert the sunlight 106 to energy with approximately 90% efficiency, with about 30% of the solar energy converted to solar electrical power by the PV modules 108 and about 60% converted to solar thermal energy. The heat is captured by the circulating water stream, and the heat is stored in a nearby water reservoir that is the hot energy storage (HES) 112 or heat source for the ORC generator 102. The solar electrical power from the PV module 108 (or electrical power from the regional power grid 118) is used to power an electrical refrigeration unit (operating on a vapor compression cycle) 114 to cool waterDocket No. IS25.0229in a second reservoir that is the cold energy storage (CES) 116. In some embodiments, the electrical refrigeration unit 114 is powered by an external power grid 118. Excess electricity produced by the ORC generator 102 may be used to power a load, for instance sold to power local systems and / or sold to a power grid 118 or other electrical load.

[0034] In some embodiments, the HES 112 is configured to maintain a hot temperature in a range of 70°C to 100°C. In some embodiments, the HES 112 is configured to maintain a hot temperature in a range of 80°C to 100°C. In some embodiments, the HES 112 is configured to maintain a hot temperature in a range of 90°C to 100°C. In some embodiments, the CES 116 is configured to maintain a cold temperature in a range of 0°C to 30°C. In some embodiments, the CES 116 is configured to maintain a cold temperature in a range of 0°C to 20°C. In some embodiments, the CES 116 is configured to maintain a cold temperature in a range of 0°C to 10°C. The two insulated storage reservoirs, HES 112 and CES 116, maintain a temperature difference of approximately 90°C.

[0035] FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a system 200 of the present disclosure that includes a thermal cycle generator 202 (such as an ORC generator or a Kalina cycle generator) and a heat driven refrigeration unit (such as an adsorption or an absorption chiller) 220. In some embodiments, one or more mirrors 204 direct sunlight 206 onto a solar collector, including raised photovoltaic (PV) modules 208 supported by a PV module tower 210, that are actively cooled by water circulated through the PV module tower 210. As described in relation to FIG. 1, the PV modules 208 convert the sunlight 206 to solar electrical power and solar thermal energy. The solar thermal energy is captured by the circulating water stream. In some embodiments, the solar thermal energy is stored in an HES 212. In some embodiments, the solar thermal energy is provided directly to the thermal cycle generator 202. In some embodiments, the solar thermal energy is provided directly to the heat driven refrigeration unit 220. In some embodiments, the solar electrical power from the PV module 208 is provided to power local systems, a local short-term electrical power storage (such as lithium batteries) and / or sold to a power grid 218 or other electrical load.

[0036] In some embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit 220 consumes heat from the HES 212 to charge the CES 216 with cold water. The heat driven refrigeration unit 220 may receive electricity from the PV modules 208 and / or the power grid 218 (or other energy source) to operate the pumps, valves, and other control mechanisms of the heat driven refrigeration unit 220. In some embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit 220 partly replaces the electrical refrigeration unitDocket No. IS25.0229(e.g., electrical refrigeration unit 114 described in relation to FIG. 1). In some embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit 220 completely replaces the electrical refrigeration unit (e.g., electrical refrigeration unit 114 described in relation to FIG. 1) and the system 200 does not have an electrical refrigeration unit. In such examples, the system 200 does not have the compressor of the electrical refrigeration unit, which requires periodic maintenance, and is a common point of failure of an electrical refrigeration unit, improving reliability. In some examples, improvements to the reliability of the refrigeration unit improve the reliability of the system, as a whole, as the temperature of the CES 216 is better maintained and the efficiency of the thermal cycle generator 202 is improved. Further, the electrical round-trip efficiency (RTE) for a system is approximately 50-80% when using a conventional electrical refrigeration unit (e.g., electrical refrigeration unit 114 described in relation to FIG. 1).

[0037] In some embodiments, using a heat driven refrigeration unit (e.g., an adsorption or absorption chiller according to the present disclosure) as opposed to an electrical refrigeration unit can increase the electrical RTE several fold as a heat driven refrigeration unit uses significantly less electricity. For example, the COPe(electrical coefficient of performance) for a heat driven refrigeration unit is ~ 20-40 versus ~ 4-8 for an electrical refrigeration unit.

[0038] In some examples, the heat driven refrigeration unit 220 is an absorption chiller, such as will be described in more detail in relation to FIG. 5. In other examples, the heat driven refrigeration unit 220 is an adsorption chiller, such as is described in more detail in relation to FIG.6.

[0039] In some embodiments, a system 200 for generating electrical power from solar collectors produce surplus and / or waste heat. In conventional systems, the surplus and / or waste heat is exhausted to the ambient atmosphere. In at least some embodiments of a system 200 according to the present disclosure, surplus and / or waste heat is provided to the heat driven refrigeration unit 220 to cool the fluid thermal mass of the CES 216. For example, hot working fluid is circulated between the HES 212 and the heat driven refrigeration unit 220 to transfer heat from the HES 212 to the heat driven refrigeration unit 220. The heat driven refrigeration unit 220 then uses the heat to, at least partially, drive a thermodynamic cycle to cool cold working fluid circulated between the CES 216 and the heat driven refrigeration unit 220.

[0040] In some embodiments, the hot working fluid is circulated between the HES 212 and the heat driven refrigeration unit 220 by drawing hot working fluid from an upper portion of the fluidDocket No. IS25.0229thermal mass of the HES 212 above a thermocline and returning the hot working fluid (at a lower temperature after returning from the heat driven refrigeration unit 220) to a lower portion of the HES 212 below a thermocline. In some embodiments, the fluid thermal mass of the HES 212 has a thermocline that marks a relatively abrupt transition between a hot region and a warm region that are in direct contact with one another and share a fluid across the thermocline. The hot region of the fluid thermal mass has a higher temperature than the warm region of the fluid thermal mass. In some embodiments, hot working fluid is supplied to the warm region 370 through a port or other ingress into the HES 212 below the hot region. For example, the port or other ingress for the warm return water may introduce the warm return water in a laminar flow to limit and / or prevent turbulence and mixing of the fluid thermal mass across the thermocline in the fluid thermal mass oftheHES 212.

[0041] In some embodiments, the working fluid is water. In at least some embodiments, hot water from the PV module tower 210 enters at the hot region of the HES 212 (e.g., fluid pit or tank) above the warm region through a port or other ingress above the thermocline. For example, the port or other ingress for the hot water from the PV module tower 210 may introduce the hot water in a laminar flow to limit and / or prevent turbulence and mixing of the fluid thermal mass across the thermocline. By drawing hot working fluid (e.g., water) from below the thermocline in the warm region, the PV module tower 210 can recharge the HES 212. The solar thermal energy heats the HES 212, as heat from the HES 212 is consumed by the thermodynamic cycle of the heat driven refrigeration unit 220 and / or the thermal cycle of the thermal cycle generator 202. For example, the heat driven refrigeration unit 220 can draw hot working fluid from the hot region (the warmer portion) of the HES 212 above the thermocline, use some heat from the hot working fluid to cool the cold working fluid, and return the hot working fluid to the warm region below the thermocline.

[0042] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the hot region of the HES 212 above a thermocline and at least a portion of the warm region of the HES 212 below the thermocline has a temperature difference of greater than 30°C. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the hot region of the HES 212 above a thermocline and at least a portion of the warm region of the HES 212 below the thermocline has a temperature difference of greater than 45°C. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the hot region of the HES 212 above a thermocline and at least a portion of the warm region of the HES 212 below the thermocline has a temperature differenceDocket No. IS25.0229of greater than 60°C. Tn at least one example, the warm region has a warm temperature range including approximately 25°C (e.g., 25°C to 90°C) and the hot region has a hot temperature range including approximately 90°C or higher.

[0043] In some embodiments, hot water from the hot region is extracted to the thermal cycle generator 202. In some embodiments, hot water is extracted from the hot region of the HES 212 (e.g., fluid pit or tank) above the warm region through a port or other egress above the thermocline. For example, the port or other egress for the hot water may extract the hot water in a laminar flow to limit and / or prevent turbulence and mixing of the fluid thermal mass across the thermocline. The heat from the hot water is used in a thermodynamic cycle of the thermal cycle generator 202 to generate electricity.

[0044] The solar thermal energy collected at the PV modules 208 may be used to operate the heat driven refrigeration unit 220 that charges the CES 216. In some embodiments, when the CES temperature is outside of a target temperature range, the heat driven refrigeration unit 220 operates to lower the CES temperature to the target temperature range. When the CES 216 is within the target temperature range, the heat driven refrigeration unit 220 does not operate and / or operates at a lower heat consumption to maintain the target temperature range. In some embodiments, the CES temperature and the target temperature range are measured as an average temperature of a fluid or other thermal mass in the CES 216.

[0045] In some embodiments, the CES temperature and the target temperature range are measured as a CES charge level of the CES 216 defined at least by a proportion of cold fluid relative to a cool fluid (i.e., across a thermocline, as is described herein). For example, a CES charge level with 50% of the CES being cold working fluid and 50% of the CES being a cool working fluid (that is warmer than the cold working fluid) is a lower CES charge level than 80% of the CES being colder working fluid and 20% of the CES being a cool working fluid.

[0046] In some embodiments, the CES 216 includes a thermocline similar to that of the HES 212; above which a cool region includes a cool water or other fluid thermal mass of cold working fluid (relative to the hot working fluid of the HES 212), and below which a cold region includes a cold water or other fluid thermal mass that are in direct contact with one another and share a fluid across the thermocline. In some embodiments, the cold region is in a cold temperature range at or near a freezing temperature of the fluid thermal mass (such as being 0°C to 10°C of a water-based CESDocket No. IS25.0229216 or less for a saltwater-based CES 216). In some embodiments, the cool region is in a cool temperature range that is warmer than the cold region (such as being 10°C to 25°C).

[0047] A cold water supply line, in some embodiments, provides cold water from the heat driven refrigeration unit 220 to the cold region of the CES 216. In some embodiments, the cold water supply line provides the cold water to the cold region through a port or other ingress to the CES 216 in a laminar flow to limit and / or prevent turbulence and mixing of the fluid thermal mass in the CES 216. In some embodiments, a cool return water line provides return water to the heat driven refrigeration unit 220 to the cool region of the CES 216 through a port or other egress from the CES 216 in a laminar flow to limit and / or prevent turbulence and mixing of the fluid thermal mass in the CES 216. In such a manner, the heat driven refrigeration unit 220 can draw cold working fluid from the cool region (the warmer portion) of the CES 216 above the thermocline, cool the cold working fluid further, and return the cold working fluid to the cold region below the thermocline to charge the CES 216.

[0048] In some embodiments, such as in smaller volume fluid pits or storage tanks, the turbulence or other flow of fluid in the CES or HES limits and / or prevents the formation of a thermocline. In some embodiments, it is beneficial to receive a warm working fluid in a separate holding tank before further heating the working fluid and flowing the hot working fluid into the HES 212. In some embodiments, it is beneficial to receive a cool working fluid in a separate holding tank before further cooling the working fluid and flowing the cold working fluid into the CES 216. In some embodiments, the system 200 includes both a holding tank before the HES 212 and a holding tank before the CES 216 such that the system 400 includes 4 fluid tanks.

[0049] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of a system 300 for generating electrical power of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the system 300 includes both a heat driven refrigeration unit 320 and an electrical refrigeration unit 314. In some embodiments, one or more mirrors 304 direct sunlight 306 onto a solar collector, including raised photovoltaic (PV) modules 308 supported by a PV module tower 310, that are actively cooled by water circulated through the PV module tower 310.

[0050] As described in relation to FIG. 1, the PV modules 308 convert the sunlight 306 to solar electrical power and solar thermal energy. The solar thermal energy is captured by the circulating water stream. In some embodiments, the solar thermal energy is stored in an HES 312. In some embodiments, the solar thermal energy is provided directly to the thermal cycle generator 302. InDocket No. IS25.0229some embodiments, the solar thermal energy is provided directly to the heat driven refrigeration unit 320. In some embodiments, the solar electrical power from the PV module 308 is provided to power local systems, a local short-term electrical power storage (such as lithium batteries) and / or sold to a power grid 318 or other electrical load.

[0051] In some embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit 320 consumes heat from the HES 312 and / or waste heat from the thermal cycle generator 302 to charge the CES 316. In some examples, the heat driven refrigeration unit 320 is an absorption chiller, such as will be described in more detail in relation to FIG. 5. In other examples, the heat driven refrigeration unit 320 is an adsorption chiller, such as will be described in more detail in relation to FIG. 6.

[0052] The heat driven refrigeration unit 320 consumes heat from the HES 312 by circulating hot working fluid between the HES 312 and the heat driven refrigeration unit 320. As described herein, thermal storage of the solar thermal energy captured at the PV module towers 310 is a more efficient energy storage mechanism that batteries or other short-term storage mechanisms for the solar electrical power generated by the PV modules 308. In some embodiments, such as during daytime, the PV modules 308 generate surplus electrical power, which may be used to power an electrical refrigeration unit 314 to supplement the heat driven refrigeration unit 320. In some examples, this allows the HES 312 to remain at a higher temperature for night or other times when sunlight 306 is less or not present. Additionally, the electrical refrigeration unit 314 may charge the CES 316 during sunlight (e.g., daytime), while the thermal storage of the HES 312 in combination with the heat driven refrigeration unit 320 allows charging of the CES 316 during nighttime.

[0053] In some embodiments, the electrical refrigeration unit 314 and the heat driven refrigeration unit 320 operate in parallel, with both working to charge the CES 316 as needed and based on the availability of heat from the HES 312 and electricity from the PV modules 308 and / or power grid 318. In some embodiments, the electrical refrigeration unit 314 and the heat driven refrigeration unit 320 operate in series. In some embodiments, the electrical refrigeration unit 314 pre-cools a portion of the cold working fluid received from the thermal cycle generator 302 before the cold working fluid flows to the heat driven refrigeration unit 320. In some embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit 320 further cools the cold working fluid to a target temperature before flowing to the CES 316. In some embodiments, the cold working fluid is cooled by the electrical refrigeration unit 314 to the target temperature before the heat driven refrigeration unit 320 suchDocket No. IS25.0229that the heat driven refrigeration unit 320 consumes little to no heat to further cool the cold working fluid. In some embodiments, the cold working fluid is cooled by the electrical refrigeration unit 314 to the target temperature, and the cold working fluid bypasses the heat driven refrigeration unit 320 and flows directly to the CES 316. The supplemental cooling of the electrical refrigeration unit 314 may, therefore, limit the consumption of heat from the HES 312 when solar electrical power is available from the PV modules 308. In both parallel and series configurations, the electrical refrigeration unit 314 and the heat driven refrigeration unit 320 may each provide sufficient cooling independently to charge the CES 316. The electrical refrigeration unit 314 and the heat driven refrigeration unit 320, therefore, provide redundancy for reliability and easier maintenance, as one unit can be taken offline for repairs or service while the remaining unit provides cooling to the CES 316.

[0054] FIG. 4-1 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of a system 400 for generating electrical power for a datacenter 422 or other local electrical load and harvesting waste heat from the datacenter 422 or other local electrical load of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one or more mirrors 404 direct sunlight 406 onto a solar collector, including raised photovoltaic (PV) modules 408 supported by a PV module tower 410, that are actively cooled by water circulated through the PV module tower 410. As described in relation to FIG. 1, the PV modules 408 convert the sunlight 406 to solar electrical power and solar thermal energy. The solar thermal energy is captured by the circulating water stream. In some embodiments, the solar thermal energy is stored in an HES 412. In some embodiments, the solar thermal energy is provided directly to the thermal cycle generator 402. In some embodiments, the solar thermal energy is provided directly to the heat driven refrigeration unit 420. In some embodiments, the solar electrical power from the PV module 408 and / or the generator electrical power from thermal cycle generator 402 is provided to power a datacenter 422 or other local electrical load. In some embodiments, the datacenter 422 or other local electrical load produces waste heat during consumption of the electrical power, and the system 400 harvests the waste heat to further charge or maintain the thermal mass of the HES 412.

[0055] In some embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit 420 consumes heat from the HES 412 and / or waste heat from the thermal cycle generator 402 and / or datacenter 422 to charge the CES 416. For example, the waste heat from the thermal cycle generator 402 and / or datacenter 422 is directed to the HES 412, where it is subsequently cycled to the heat driven refrigeration unitDocket No. IS25.0229420. In some embodiments, the waste heat is a lower temperature than the hot portion of the HES 412, and the waste heat is directed to a lower portion below a thermocline of the HES 412 as described in relation to FIG. 2. In some examples, the heat driven refrigeration unit 420 is an absorption chiller, such as will be described in more detail in relation to FIG. 5. In other examples, the heat driven refrigeration unit 420 is an adsorption chiller, such as will be described in more detail in relation to FIG. 6.

[0056] In some embodiments, the system 400 is in thermal communication with a geothermal well 423 to provide supplemental heat to the heat driven refrigeration unit 420. In some embodiments, the geothermal well 423 is in thermal communication with the HES 412 to provide geothermal heat to the HES 412. In some embodiments, the geothermal well 423 is in thermal communication with the heat driven refrigeration unit 420 directly to provide geothermal heat to the heat driven refrigeration unit 420 to cool the cold working fluid circulated from the CES 416. In at least one embodiment, the geothermal well 423 has a subterranean temperature and / or provides a working fluid at a temperature at or greater than a target temperature of the HES 412. For example, the geothermal well 423 may receive hot working fluid from the HES 412 and further heat the hot working fluid to a temperature greater than that of the HES 412 before providing the high-temperature working fluid to the thermal cycle generator 402. In at least another embodiment, the geothermal well 423 has a subterranean temperature and / or provides a working fluid at a temperature at or greater than a boiling temperature of a refrigerant of the heat driven refrigeration unit 420.

[0057] Referring now to FIG. 4-2, in some embodiments, the system 400 directs waste heat from the datacenter 422 or other electrical load to further charge or maintain the thermal mass of the HES 412. In some embodiments, however, the waste heat is harvested to the heat driven refrigeration unit 420 directly, without the intermediate HES 412. The waste heat is used to charge the CES 416 by the heat driven refrigeration unit 420. In some embodiments, the hot working fluid exhausted from the heat driven refrigeration unit 420 is returned to the HES 412.

[0058] In some embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit of systems according to the present disclosure is an absorption chiller, and in other embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit of systems according to the present disclosure is an adsorption chiller. The two systems are similar in operation, where an absorption chiller absorbs a gaseous refrigerant with a liquid absorbent, and an adsorption chiller adsorbs a gaseous refrigerant with a solid adsorbent.Docket No. IS25.0229

[0059] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a heat driven refrigeration unit 520 that is an absorption chiller of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a refrigerant changes between a liquid phase and a gaseous phase through the thermodynamic cycle of the heat driven refrigeration unit 520. In some embodiments, a liquid refrigerant flows into an evaporator 524, which maintains a low-pressure environment to evaporate the refrigerant into a first stage gaseous refrigerant and receive / absorb heat from a cold working fluid from a CES 516 received at an inlet 534 of the evaporator 524. The evaporation of the refrigerant in the evaporator 524 lowers the temperature of the cold working fluid circulating through (for example, in pipes) the evaporator 524 and out an outlet 536 back to the CES 516 at a lower temperature.

[0060] In some embodiments, the first stage gaseous refrigerant flows from the evaporator 524 into the absorber 526 containing a liquid absorbent. The liquid absorbent absorbs the first stage gaseous refrigerant into an absorbent-refrigerant solution, which releases heat in the process. In some embodiments, the refrigerant is or includes water. In some embodiments, the refrigerant is or includes ammonia. In some embodiments, the absorbent is or includes lithium bromide. In some embodiments, the absorbent is or includes water. For example, a water refrigerant may be absorbed by lithium bromide absorbent to form the absorbent-refrigerant solution. In another example, an ammonia refrigerant may be absorbed by a water absorbent to form the absorbent-refrigerant solution.

[0061] A separator 528 receives the absorbent-refrigerant solution. The separator 528 further receives heat from the HES 512. In some embodiments, hot working fluid that is heated at least partially by the solar thermal energy is received through an inlet 538, transfers heat to the absorbent-refrigerant solution and exits from the separator 528 at an outlet 540. In some embodiments, the heat from the hot working fluid separates the refrigerant from solution in the absorbent-refrigerant solution, and the refrigerant forms a second stage gaseous refrigerant, while the liquid absorbent returns to the absorber 526. The second stage gaseous refrigerant flows to a condenser 530, in some embodiments, which condenses the gaseous refrigerant into the liquid refrigerant flows back into the evaporator 524. In some embodiments, the evaporator 524 includes an expansion nozzle or expansion valve through which the liquid refrigerant passes to promote evaporation of the liquid refrigerant in the evaporator 524. In some embodiments, the condenser 530 is in thermal communication with a heat exchanger 532 to exhaust heat from the refrigerant that is released during the condensation.Docket No. IS25.0229

[0062] FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a heat driven refrigeration unit 620 that is an adsorption chiller of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a refrigerant changes between a liquid phase and a gaseous phase through the thermodynamic cycle of the heat driven refrigeration unit 620. In some embodiments, a liquid refrigerant flows into an evaporator 624, which maintains a low-pressure environment to evaporate the refrigerant into a first stage gaseous refrigerant and receive / absorb heat from a cold working fluid from a CES 616 received at an inlet 634 of the evaporator 624. The evaporation of the refrigerant in the evaporator 624 lowers the temperature of the cold working fluid circulating through (for example, in pipes) the evaporator 624 and out an outlet 636 back to the CES 616 at a lower temperature.

[0063] In some embodiments, the first stage gaseous refrigerant flows from the evaporator 624 into the adsorber 642 containing a solid adsorbent. The solid adsorbent adsorbs the first stage gaseous refrigerant into a solid adsorbent bed, which releases heat in the process. In some embodiments, the refrigerant is or includes water. In some embodiments, the refrigerant is or includes ammonia. In some embodiments, the adsorbent is or includes zeolites. In some embodiments, the adsorbent is or includes silica gel. In some embodiments, the adsorbent is or includes activated carbon. For example, a water refrigerant may be adsorbed by a zeolite adsorbent to form the solid absorbent bed.

[0064] In some embodiments, an adsorbent chiller lacks a separator, as the adsorbent is solid and cannot flow. In some embodiments, the adsorber 642 continues to adsorb gaseous refrigerant until the adsorbent is saturated. When the adsorbent is saturated (or at any other time at which there is an opportunity or need to recharge the heat driven refrigeration unit 620), the adsorber 642 receives heat from the HES 612. In some embodiments, hot working fluid that is heated at least partially by the solar thermal energy is received through an inlet 638, transfers heat to the solid absorbent bed, and exits from the adsorber 642 at an outlet 640. In some embodiments, the heat from the hot working fluid separates the refrigerant from the solid adsorbent, and the refrigerant forms a second stage gaseous refrigerant, while the solid adsorbent remains in the adsorber 642. The second stage gaseous refrigerant flows to a condenser 630, in some embodiments, which condenses the gaseous refrigerant into the liquid refrigerant flows back into the evaporator 624. In some embodiments, the evaporator 624 includes an expansion nozzle or expansion valve through which the liquid refrigerant passes to promote evaporation of the liquid refrigerant in the evaporator 624. In someDocket No. IS25.0229embodiments, the condenser 630 is in thermal communication with a heat exchanger 632 to exhaust heat from the refrigerant that is released during the condensation.

[0065] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method 744 of generating electrical power including generating solar electrical power with a PV module of a solar collector at 746 and generating solar thermal energy with the solar collector at 748 of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the method 744 includes storing the solar thermal energy in an HES at 750.

[0066] Cooling a CES with a heat driven refrigeration unit using heat from the HES at 752. In some embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit is an absorption chiller, such as described in relation to FIG. 5. In some embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit is an adsorption chiller, such as described in relation to FIG. 6. In some embodiments, the method 744 optionally includes powering an electrical refrigeration unit with the solar electrical power and cooling the CES with the electrical refrigeration unit.

[0067] The method 744 further includes, in some embodiments, providing hot working fluid from the HES and cold working fluid from the CES to a thermal cycle generator, such as a Rankine cycle (or Organic Rankine cycle) generator or Kalina cycle generator at 754 and generating generator electrical power from the thermal cycle generator at 756.

[0068] In some embodiments, the method 744 includes recycling the hot working fluid and the cold working fluid at 758. In some embodiments, recycling the hot working fluid includes flowing the hot working fluid from the thermal cycle generator to the HES. In some embodiments, recycling the hot working fluid includes flowing the hot working fluid from the thermal cycle generator to the heat driven refrigeration unit. In some embodiments, recycling the cold working fluid includes flowing the cold working fluid from the thermal cycle generator to the CES. In some embodiments, recycling the cold working fluid includes flowing the cold working fluid from the thermal cycle generator to the heat driven refrigeration unit.

[0069] FIG. 8-1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a geothermal system 800 for providing electrical power of the present disclosure. The system receives heat from a geothermal well 823, such as that described in relation to FIG. 4-1, and provides geothermal heat to a thermal cycle generator 802. In some embodiments, the thermal cycle generator 802 is a Rankine cycle (or organic Rankine cycle) generator. In some embodiments, the thermal cycle generator 802 is a Kalina cycle generator. As described herein, the thermal cycle generator 802 converts a temperature differential between a high-temperature heat source and a low-temperature heat sinkDocket No. IS25.0229into mechanical energy, which may be converted to electrical energy and exported to a power grid or stored in another form of energy storage.

[0070] In some embodiments, the system 800 lacks an HES, and the geothermal well 823 is the high-temperature heat source. Conventional geothermal systems use the ambient atmosphere as the low-temperature heat sink and lack a CES. The temperature differential between the geothermal heat source and the ambient atmosphere heat sink powers the thermal cycle generator 802. The geothermal heat 860 provided by the geothermal well 823 (e.g., in a hot working fluid) is greater than the boiling temperature of water at 1 atmosphere (e.g., greater than 100°C). For example, the hot working fluid may be a working fluid that remains liquid at elevated temperatures above 100°C. In some examples, the hot working fluid may be pressurized to remain in a liquid phase at elevated temperatures above 100°C. In some embodiments, the thermal cycle generator 802 produces residual heat 862 after operation that is sufficient to drive a heat driven refrigeration unit 820. In some embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit 820 is an absorption chiller, such as described in relation to FIG. 5. In some embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit 820 is an adsorption chiller, such as described in relation to FIG. 6.

[0071] In some embodiments, the residual heat 862 after operation of the thermal cycle generator 802 is provided to the heat driven refrigeration unit 820 as a warm working fluid (e.g., cooler than the hot working fluid transferring the geothermal heat 860) to drive a thermodynamic cooling cycle, as described herein, with a heat exchanger exhausting heat to the ambient atmosphere as a heat sink of the heat driven refrigeration unit 820. The heat driven refrigeration unit 820 produces a cold working fluid 864 that is colder than the ambient atmospheric temperature. In such examples, the cold working fluid 864 is colder than the conventional ambient temperature heat sink of the thermal cycle generator 802. In some embodiments, the cold working fluid 864 circulates to the thermal cycle generator 802 to receive heat in the thermal cycle (e.g., Rankine cycle, Kalina cycle) as the low-temperature heat sink, increasing the temperature differential and improving efficiency in the thermal cycle generator 802. After receiving heat from the thermal cycle generator, the working fluid recirculates through the heat driven refrigeration unit 820 to be cooled.

[0072] FIG. 8-2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a geothermal system 800 for providing electrical power with a CES 816 of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a geothermal system 800 is similar to that described in relation to FIG. 8-1 with a CES 816Docket No. IS25.0229configured to receive cold working fluid from the heat driven refrigeration unit 820. In the absence of a CES 816, a temperature of the cold working fluid from the heat driven refrigeration unit 820 may vary with the ambient temperature, therefore. In a system 800 including a CES 816, the CES 816 stores the cold working fluid 864 for use by the thermal cycle generator 802 at a substantially constant temperature. In some embodiments, the load on the thermal cycle generator 802 varies periodically, such as on a daily time period, a weekly time period, or a seasonal time period. In some embodiments, the geothermal well 823 provides a substantially constant heat source, and the CES 816 provides a substantially constant heat sink. The substantially constant inputs into the thermal cycle generator 802 allow the thermal cycle generator 802 to produce a more predictable and efficient electrical power output in a system 800 including a CES 816.

[0073] FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of a system 900 for generating electrical power for a datacenter 922 or other local electrical load and harvesting waste heat from the datacenter 922 or other local electrical load of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one or more mirrors 904 direct sunlight 906 onto a solar collector, including raised photovoltaic (PV) modules 908 supported by a PV module tower 910, that are actively cooled by water circulated through the PV module tower 910. As described in relation to FIG. 1, the PV modules 908 convert the sunlight 906 to solar electrical power and solar thermal energy. The solar thermal energy is captured by the circulating water stream. In some embodiments, the solar thermal energy is stored in an HES 912. In some embodiments, the solar thermal energy is provided directly to the thermal cycle generator 902. In some embodiments, the solar thermal energy is provided directly to the heat driven refrigeration unit 920. In some embodiments, the solar electrical power from the PV module 908 and / or the generator electrical power from thermal cycle generator 902 is provided to power a datacenter 922 or other local electrical load. In some embodiments, the datacenter 922 or other local electrical load produces waste heat during consumption of the electrical power, and the system 900 harvests the waste heat to further charge or maintain the thermal mass of the HES 912.

[0074] In some embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit 920 consumes heat from the HES 912 and / or waste heat from the thermal cycle generator 902 and / or datacenter 922 to charge the CES 916. For example, the waste heat from the thermal cycle generator 902 and / or datacenter 922 is directed to the HES 912, where it is subsequently cycled to the heat driven refrigeration unit 920. In some embodiments, the waste heat is a lower temperature than the hot portion of the HESDocket No. IS25.0229912, and the waste heat is directed to a lower portion below a thermocline of the HES 912 as described in relation to FIG. 2. In some examples, the heat driven refrigeration unit 920 is an absorption chiller, such as described in more detail in relation to FIG. 5. In other examples, the heat driven refrigeration unit 920 is an adsorption chiller, such as described in more detail in relation to FIG. 6.

[0075] In some embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit 920 uses the solar thermal energy from the PV tower 910 and / or waste heat from the datacenter 922 to drive a thermodynamic cooling cycle and produce a cold working fluid. As described herein, the cold working fluid can be directed to a CES 916 to store the cold working fluid and / or directed to a thermal cycle generator 902 to produce generator electrical power. In some embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit 920 provides the cold working fluid directly to the datacenter 922 or other thermal load of the system 900. For example, during daytime when sunlight 906 is available to the system 900, the system 900 may direct solar thermal energy from the PV tower 910 to the heat driven refrigeration unit 920 to provide a cold working fluid to the datacenter 922 or other thermal load. The heat driven refrigeration unit 920 can therefore provide cooling to the thermal load without depleting the CES 916 that may be used during night or other times when sunlight 906 is unavailable for power generation and / or solar thermal energy.

[0076] In some embodiments, the temperature differential by which the heat driven refrigeration unit 920 operates is further supplemented by a cooling tower 966. In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the cooling tower 966 receives working fluid from the datacenter 922 or other thermal load of the system 900 and cools the working fluid before the working fluid flows to the CES 916. In some embodiments, the cooling tower 966 receives working fluid from the datacenter 922 or other thermal load of the system 900 and cools the working fluid before the working fluid flows to the heat driven refrigeration unit 920. In some embodiments, the cooling tower 966 receives cool working fluid from the CES 916 and further cools the cool working fluid by cycling the working fluid through a plurality of heat exchangers in the cooling tower 966. For example, the cooling tower may utilize evaporative cooling, convective cooling, or other cooling processes to further decrease the temperature of the cool working fluid before the cool working fluid is provided to the heat driven refrigeration unit 920. In some embodiments, a working fluid circulates between the cooling tower 966 and the heat driven refrigeration unit 920, allowing the workingDocket No. IS25.0229fluid to receive heat in the absorption and / or adsorption cycle and then exhaust that heat at the cooling tower 966 before returning to the heat driven refrigeration unit 920.

[0077] FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of a system 1000 for generating electrical power for a datacenter 1022 or other local electrical load and harvesting waste heat from the datacenter 1022 or other local electrical load of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one or more mirrors 1004 direct sunlight 1006 onto a solar collector, including raised photovoltaic (PV) modules 1008 supported by a PV module tower 1010, that are actively cooled by water circulated through the PV module tower 1010. As described in relation to FIG. 1, the PV modules 1008 convert the sunlight 1006 to solar electrical power and solar thermal energy. The solar thermal energy is captured by the circulating water stream. In some embodiments, the solar thermal energy is stored in an HES 1012. In some embodiments, the solar thermal energy is provided directly to the thermal cycle generator 1002. In some embodiments, the solar thermal energy is provided directly to the heat driven refrigeration unit 1020. In some embodiments, the solar electrical power from the PV module 1008 and / or the generator electrical power from thermal cycle generator 1002 is provided to power a datacenter 1022 or other local electrical load. In some embodiments, the datacenter 1022 or other local electrical load produces waste heat during consumption of the electrical power, and the system 1000 harvests the waste heat to further charge or maintain the thermal mass of the HES 1012.

[0078] In some embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit 1020 consumes heat from the HES 1012 and / or waste heat from the thermal cycle generator 1002 and / or datacenter 1022 to produce a cold working fluid. In some embodiments, the cold working fluid is recycled back to the thermal cycle generator 1002 and / or the datacenter 1022 directly. For example, the waste heat from the thermal cycle generator 1002 and / or datacenter 1022 is directed to the HES 1012, where is it subsequently cycled to the heat driven refrigeration unit 1020 (and / or directly to the heat driven refrigeration unit 1020). In some embodiments, the waste heat is a lower temperature than the hot portion of the HES 1012, and the waste heat is directed to a lower portion below a thermocline of the HES 1012 as described in relation to FIG. 2. In some examples, the heat driven refrigeration unit 1020 is an absorption chiller, such as described in more detail in relation to FIG. 5. In other examples, the heat driven refrigeration unit 1020 is an adsorption chiller, such as described in more detail in relation to FIG. 6.Docket No. IS25.0229

[0079] In some embodiments, the heat driven refrigeration unit 1020 uses the solar thermal energy from the PV tower 1010 and / or waste heat from the thermal cycle generator 1002 and / or datacenter 1022 to drive a thermodynamic cooling cycle and produce a cold working fluid. As described herein, the cold working fluid can be directed to thermal cycle generator 1002 and / or datacenter 1022. For example, during daytime when sunlight 1006 is available to the system 1000, the system 1000 may direct solar thermal energy from the PV tower 1010 to the heat driven refrigeration unit 1020 to provide a cold working fluid to the datacenter 1022 or other thermal load.

[0080] In some embodiments, the system 1000 lacks a CES, such as that described in relation to FIG. 9, and utilizes an ambient heat exchanger 1068 to exhaust heat to the ambient atmosphere from the thermal cycle generator 1002. In such embodiments, there is no CES to provide cold fluid to the heat driven refrigeration unit 1020. The heat driven refrigeration unit 1020 may be in fluid communication with a cooling tower 1066 that cools a working fluid of the heat driven refrigeration unit 1020 to maintain a temperature differential in the heat driven refrigeration unit 1020. In some embodiments, the cooling tower 1066 receives working fluid from the datacenter 1022 or other thermal load of the system 1000 and cools the working fluid before the working fluid flows to the heat driven refrigeration unit 1020.

[0081] In some embodiments, a working fluid circulates between the cooling tower 1066 and the heat driven refrigeration unit 1020, allowing the working fluid to receive heat in the absorption and / or adsorption cycle and then exhaust that heat at the cooling tower 1066 before returning to the heat driven refrigeration unit 1020. The heat driven refrigeration unit 1020 further recirculates water or another cooling fluid through the datacenter 1022, where the heat driven refrigeration unit 1020 cools the water, provides the cool water to the datacenter 1022 where the water receives heat and carries the heat back to the heat driven refrigeration unit 1020, which cools the water and exhausts the heat through the recirculating working fluid through the cooling tower 1066.

[0082] It should be understood that the system 1000, while described and illustrated with a HES 1012, may include more than one HES or other high-temperature energy storage (HTES) at a different, higher temperature. For example, a second solar tower may collect thermal energy and heat a high-temperature working fluid to an elevated temperature greater than that of the hot working fluid in the HES 1012. The HTES may provide higher temperature fluid to the heat driven refrigeration unit 1020 that may be greater than an operating temperature range of the thermal cycle generator 1002 (for example, a greater operating temperature than that of an ORC generator).Docket No. IS25.0229Particularly in a system including an ambient heat exchanger and / or cooling tower for a cold sink for thermodynamic processes, a HTES may increase the efficiency of the heat driven refrigeration unit 1020 by increasing the temperature of the heat source.

[0083] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for providing energy according to any of the following:

[0084] Clause 1. A system for providing electrical power, the system comprising: a solar collector including a photovoltaic (PV) module, wherein the solar collector is configured to convert a first portion of sunlight to solar thermal energy and a second portion of the sunlight to solar electrical energy; a thermal cycle generator configured to generate electrical energy from a temperature difference between a hot working fluid and a cold working fluid, wherein the hot working fluid receives solar thermal energy from the solar collector; and a heat driven refrigeration unit configured to receive at least a portion of the solar thermal energy via a hot working fluid to cool the cold working fluid.

[0085] Clause 2. The system of clause 1, further comprising a hot energy storage (HES) between the solar collector and the thermal cycle generator.

[0086] Clause 3. The system of clause 2, wherein the HES includes a pit thermal energy storage.

[0087] Clause 4. The system of clause 1, further comprising a cold energy storage (CES) in thermal communication with the heat driven refrigeration unit and configured to receive cold generator working fluid from the heat driven refrigeration unit.

[0088] Clause 5. The system of clause 4, wherein the CES includes a pit thermal energy storage.

[0089] Clause 6. The system of clause 1, wherein the heat driven refrigeration unit is an absorption chiller including an absorbent and a refrigerant.

[0090] Clause 7. The system of clause 6, wherein the refrigerant includes water.

[0091] Clause 8. The system of clause 7, wherein the absorbent includes lithium bromide.

[0092] Clause 9. The system of clause 6, wherein the refrigerant includes ammonia.

[0093] Clause 10. The system of clause 9, wherein the absorbent includes water.

[0094] Clause 11. The system of any of clauses 6 through 10, wherein the refrigerant includes a liquid refrigerant that is configured to receive thermal energy from the cold working fluid to evaporate the liquid refrigerant in a low-pressure evaporator into a first stage gaseous refrigerant.

[0095] Clause 12. The system of clause 11, wherein the absorbent is configured to absorb the first stage gaseous refrigerant into an absorbent-refrigerant solution and exhaust heat.Docket No. IS25.0229

[0096] Clause 13. The system of clause 12, wherein the absorbent-refrigerant solution is configured to receive solar thermal energy from the hot working fluid and separate into a second stage gaseous refrigerant.

[0097] Clause 14. The system of clause 13, wherein the absorption chiller further includes a condenser configured to exhaust heat from the second stage gaseous refrigerant and condense the second stage gaseous refrigerant into the liquid refrigerant.

[0098] Clause 15. The system of clause 1, wherein the heat driven refrigeration unit is an adsorption chiller including a solid adsorbent and a refrigerant.

[0099] Clause 16. The system of clause 15, wherein the refrigerant includes at least one of water and ammonia.

[0100] Clause 17. The system of clause 15 or 16, wherein the solid adsorbent includes at least one of a silica gel, a zeolite, and activated carbon.

[0101] Clause 18. The system of any of clauses 15 through 17, wherein the refrigerant includes a liquid refrigerant that is configured to receive thermal energy from the cold working fluid to evaporate the liquid refrigerant in a low-pressure evaporator into a first stage gaseous refrigerant.

[0102] Clause 19. The system of clause 18, wherein the solid adsorbent is configured to adsorb the first stage gaseous refrigerant into an solid adsorbent bed and exhaust heat.

[0103] Clause 20. The system of clause 19, wherein the solid adsorbent bed is configured to receive solar thermal energy from the hot working fluid and separate the refrigerant from the solid adsorbent into a second stage gaseous refrigerant.

[0104] Clause 21. The system of clause 20, wherein the adsorption chiller further includes a condenser configured to exhaust heat from the second stage gaseous refrigerant and condense the second stage gaseous refrigerant into the liquid refrigerant.

[0105] Clause 22. The system of any preceding clause, further comprising an electrical refrigeration unit configured to receive solar electrical power and cool the cold working fluid.

[0106] Clause 23. The system of any preceding clause, further comprising an electrical load, wherein the electrical load receives at least one of the solar electrical power and the generator electrical power and produces load thermal energy, and the electrical load is configured to provide the load thermal energy to heat the hot working fluid.

[0107] Clause 24. The system of any preceding clause, further comprising a geothermal heat source configured to provide thermal energy to the heat driven refrigeration unit.Docket No. IS25.0229

[0108] Clause 25. The system of clause 24, wherein the geothermal heat source is in thermal communication with an HES configured to provide thermal energy to the heat driven refrigeration unit.

[0109] Clause 26. A method of producing electricity, the method comprising: generating solar electrical power with a photovoltaic (PV) module of a solar collector; generating solar thermal energy with the solar collector; storing the solar thermal energy in a hot energy storage (HES); cooling a cold energy storage (CES) with a heat driven refrigeration unit using heat from the HES; providing a hot working fluid from the HES and a cold working fluid from the CES to a thermal cycle generator; generating generator electrical power from the thermal cycle generator; and recycling the hot working fluid and the cold working fluid.

[0110] Clause 27. The method of clause 26, further comprising powering an electrical refrigeration unit with the solar electrical power, and cooling the CES with the electrical refrigeration unit.[oni] Clause 28. The method of clause 26 or 27, wherein recycling the hot working fluid includes flowing the hot working fluid from the thermal cycle generator to the HES.

[0112] Clause 29. The method of clause 26 or 27, wherein recycling the hot working fluid includes flowing the hot working fluid from the thermal cycle generator to the heat driven refrigeration unit.

[0113] Clause 30. The method of any of clauses 26 through 29, wherein recycling the cold working fluid includes flowing the cold working fluid from the thermal cycle generator to the CES.

[0114] Clause 31. The method of any of clauses 26 through 29, wherein recycling the cold working fluid includes flowing the cold working fluid from the thermal cycle generator to the heat driven refrigeration unit.

[0115] Clause 32. The method of any of clauses 26 through 31, wherein the heat driven refrigeration unit is an absorption chiller.

[0116] Clause 33. The method of any of clauses 26 through 31, wherein the heat driven refrigeration unit is an adsorption chiller.

[0117] Clause 34. A system for providing electrical power, the system comprising: a geothermal well configured to provide geothermal heat to a hot working fluid; a thermal cycle generator configured to generate electrical energy from a temperature difference between the hot working fluid and a cold working fluid; and a heat driven refrigeration unit configured to receive a residual heat from the thermal cycle generator to cool the cold working fluid.Docket No. IS25.0229

[0118] Clause 35. The system of clause 34, further comprising a cold energy storage (CES) in fluid communication with the heat driven refrigeration unit and the thermal cycle generator.

[0119] Clause 36. The system of clause 34 or 35, wherein the heat driven refrigeration unit is an absorption chiller.

[0120] Clause 37. The system of clause 34 or 35, wherein the heat driven refrigeration unit is an adsorption chiller.

[0121] Clause 38. The system of any of clauses 34 through 37, wherein the hot working fluid has a temperature greater than 100°C.

[0122] Clause 39. The system of any of clauses 34 through 38, wherein the thermal cycle generator is a Rankine cycle generator.

[0123] Clause 40. The system of any of clauses 34 through 38, wherein the thermal cycle generator is a Kalina cycle generator.

[0124] It should be understood that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. For example, any element described in relation to an embodiment herein may be combinable with any element of any other embodiment described herein, to the extent such features are not described as being mutually exclusive. Numbers, percentages, ratios, or other values stated herein are intended to include that value, and also other values that are “about”, “substantially”, or “approximately” the stated value, as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art encompassed by embodiments of the present disclosure. A stated value should therefore be interpreted broadly enough to encompass values that are at least close enough to the stated value to perform a desired function or achieve a desired result. The stated values include at least the variation to be expected in a suitable manufacturing or production process, and may include values that are within 5%, within 1%, within 0.1%, or within 0.01% of a stated value.

[0125] The terms “approximately,” “about,” and “substantially” as used herein represent an amount close to the stated amount that is within standard manufacturing or process tolerances, or which still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “approximately,” “about,” and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is within less than 5% of, within less than 1% of, within less than 0.1% of, and within less than 0.01% of a stated amount. Further, it should be understood that any directions or reference frames in the preceding descriptionDocket No. IS25.0229are merely relative directions or movements. For example, any references to “up” and “down” or “above” or “below” are merely descriptive of the relative position or movement of the related elements.

[0126] A person having ordinary skill in the art should realize in view of the present disclosure that equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that various changes, substitutions, and alterations may be made to embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Equivalent constructions, including functional “means-plus-function” clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function, including both structural equivalents that operate in the same manner, and equivalent structures that provide the same function. It is the express intention of the applicant not to invoke means-plus-function or other functional claiming for any claim except for those in which the words ‘means for’ appear together with an associated function. Each addition, deletion, and modification to the embodiments that falls within the meaning and scope of the claims is to be embraced by the claims. The described embodiments are therefore to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the disclosure is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

Claims

Docket No. IS25.0229CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A system for providing electrical power, the system comprising:a solar collector including a photovoltaic (PV) module, wherein the solar collector is configured to convert a first portion of sunlight to solar thermal energy and a second portion of the sunlight to solar electrical energy;a thermal cycle generator configured to generate electrical energy from a temperature difference between a hot working fluid and a cold working fluid, wherein in use the hot working fluid receives solar thermal energy from the solar collector; and a heat driven refrigeration unit configured to receive at least a portion of the solar thermal energy via a hot working fluid to cool the cold working fluid.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a hot energy storage (HES) between the solar collector and the thermal cycle generator.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the HES includes a pit thermal energy storage.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cold energy storage (CES) in thermal communication with the heat driven refrigeration unit and configured to receive cold generator working fluid from the heat driven refrigeration unit.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the CES includes a pit thermal energy storage.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat driven refrigeration unit is an absorption chiller including an absorbent and a refrigerant.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the refrigerant includes water and the absorbent includes lithium bromide.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the refrigerant includes ammonia and the absorbent includes water.Docket No. IS25.02299. The system of claim 6, wherein the refrigerant includes a liquid refrigerant that is configured to receive thermal energy from the cold working fluid to evaporate the liquid refrigerant in a low-pressure evaporator into a first stage gaseous refrigerant.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the absorbent is configured to absorb the first stage gaseous refrigerant into an absorbent-refrigerant solution and exhaust heat.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat driven refrigeration unit is an adsorption chiller including a solid adsorbent and a refrigerant.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the refrigerant includes at least one of water and ammonia.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the solid adsorbent includes at least one of a silica gel, a zeolite, and activated carbon.

14. A method of producing electricity, the method comprising:generating solar electrical power with a photovoltaic (PV) module of a solar collector; generating solar thermal energy with the solar collector;storing the solar thermal energy in a hot energy storage (HES);cooling a cold energy storage (CES) with a heat driven refrigeration unit using heat from the HES;providing a hot working fluid from the HES and a cold working fluid from the CES to a thermal cycle generator;generating electrical power from the thermal cycle generator; andrecycling the hot working fluid and the cold working fluid.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising powering an electrical refrigeration unit with the solar electrical power, and cooling the CES with the electrical refrigeration unit.Docket No. IS25.022916. The method of claim 14, wherein recycling the hot working fluid includes flowing the hot working fluid from the thermal cycle generator to the HES.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein recycling the hot working fluid includes flowing the hot working fluid from the thermal cycle generator to the heat driven refrigeration unit.

18. A system for providing electrical power, the system comprising:a geothermal well configured to provide geothermal heat to a hot working fluid;a thermal cycle generator configured to generate electrical energy from a temperature difference between the hot working fluid and a cold working fluid; and a heat driven refrigeration unit configured to receive a residual heat from the thermal cycle generator to cool the cold working fluid.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the heat driven refrigeration unit is an absorption chiller.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the heat driven refrigeration unit is an adsorption chiller.

21. The system of any of the preceding claims where the heat driven refrigeration unit and an electrically driven refrigeration unit are connected in series or parallel to improve the performance of the system.

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