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US 2026/0258792 A1Published application
Combined Power Generation using Geothermal and Solar Energy
AssigneeNant Holdings IP, LLC
InventorPatrick Soon-Shiong
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Abstract
Systems and methods are presented for enhancing energy production and storage by integrating solar energy with geothermal processes. In certain embodiments, a hybrid geothermal/solar system increases energy yield from a closed loop geothermal system, stores heat in a wellbore, enhances power generation from geothermal brine, and/or facilitates carbon dioxide sequestration or conversion to fuel, all preferably utilizing solar energy as a supplemental heat source.
Claims20
A method of storing and managing solar thermal energy in a geological formation, comprising:
- accessing a wellbore grid comprising at least one first wellbore containing a closed loop geothermal system and at least two second wellbores each containing a heat transfer fluid, wherein each of the at least two second wellbores is proximal to the at least one first wellbore;
- heating the heat transfer fluid in each of the at least two second wellbores using solar energy;
- transferring heat from the heat transfer fluid in the at least two second wellbores through the geological formation to a working fluid in the closed loop geothermal system in the at least one first wellbore;
- controlling, via a computer-based grid controller, at least one of flow rate or temperature of the heat transfer fluid in the at least two second wellbores;
- and
- extracting thermal energy from the working fluid in the closed loop geothermal system using a power cycle to thereby generate electrical energy.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.