| 主权项 |
1. An energy storage and retrieval system for obtaining useful work from an existing source of secondary heat, said system comprising:
a source of compressed air; at least one generator; a plurality of expander stages, each of said plurality of expander stages having an inlet and an outlet, at least a portion of said plurality of expander stages having an outlet flow control, and each of said plurality of expander stages connected to said at least one generator; a first manifold; and a first plurality of heat exchangers, including an initial heat exchanger and a first plurality of downstream heat exchangers, each of said first plurality of heat exchangers having a first heat exchange circuit and a second heat exchange circuit; wherein each of said first heat exchange circuits of said first plurality of downstream heat exchangers is in selective fluid communication with one of said outlets of said plurality of expander stages through one of said outlet flow controls of said plurality of expander stages, and each of said second heat exchange circuits of said first plurality of heat exchangers is in fluid communication with said first manifold, and said first manifold is in fluid communication with said source of secondary heat to receive secondary heat therefrom. |
