Heating systems and methods

A method of providing a heated fluid for extracting useable work therefrom, the method comprising:

• supplying a liquid to be heated to a cell, wherein the cell comprises:
• (i) a housing arranged to define an internal portion for receiving the liquid to be heated, and (ii) a plurality of electrodes configured to apply electrical energy to fluid in the internal portion;
• controlling operation of the plurality of electrodes to apply electrical energy to fluid in the internal portion to generate one or more bubbles of plasma;
• generating heat in the housing proximal to the internal portion in response to the housing receiving incident photons associated with plasma bubbles in the internal portion;
• using the housing to conductively heat fluid in the internal portion.

A method of controlling operation of a heating system, the heating system comprising a cell comprising:

• (i) a housing arranged to define an internal portion for receiving liquid to be heated, and (ii) a plurality of electrodes configured to apply electrical energy to fluid in the internal portion, the method comprising:
• controlling operation of the electrodes to apply electrical energy to fluid in the internal portion to generate one or more bubbles of plasma for releasing energy from the plasma into the fluid in the internal portion and the housing to provide heating of the fluid in the internal portion, wherein controlling operation of the electrodes comprises:
• receiving a signal indicative of at least one operational parameter associated with the cell and/or a fluid associated therewith;
• operating in a ‘cold-start’ mode when the operational parameter indicates heating and/or plasma generation is below a threshold level;
• and
• operating in a ‘normal’ mode when the operational parameter indicates heating and/or plasma generation is above the threshold level;
• wherein operating in the cold-start mode comprises controlling at least one of:
• (i) the electrical energy applied by the electrodes, (ii) supply of liquid to the cell, and (iii) operation of an external heater, to increase the temperature of the cell and/or the fluid associated therewith in the event that the operational parameter indicates heating and/or plasma generation is below a threshold level.