Abstract: A steam turbine has a two-shell housing, including an outer casing and an inner casing arranged therein, as well as a pipe that extends through the outer casing for supplying and/or removing steam to or from the inner casing, the pipe being provided with a pair of apertures arranged opposite each other on the inner casing. According to the invention, a first steam supply or discharge pipe can be connected to a first aperture, and the second aperture is closed by a cover.

Abstract: A thermal storage device is provided which comprises at least one storage medium which is a multicomponent mixture having a melting range between the solid phase of the mixture and the liquid phase of the mixture extending over at least 10 K.

Abstract: In order to provide an apparatus for generating mechanical and electrical energy from a fuel that may be operated efficiently and in a simple manner, it is proposed that the apparatus comprises: a heat engine operated by the fuel; a separating device, by means of which a target fraction of the fuel is separated; a conversion device, by means of which hydrogen is generated from the target fraction; and a fuel cell system operated by the hydrogen as a combustion gas.

Abstract: A steam turbine has a two-shell housing, including an outer casing and an inner casing arranged therein, as well as a pipe that extends through the outer casing for supplying and/or removing steam to or from the inner casing, the pipe being provided with a pair of apertures arranged opposite each other on the inner casing. According to the invention, a first steam supply or discharge pipe can be connected to a first aperture, and the second aperture is closed by a cover.

Abstract: The invention relates to a turbine (1) having a rotor (2), which has a bladed area (3) for rotor blades (4) and a thrust compensation piston (5). The thrust compensation piston (5) has a hot side (6), which faces the bladed area (3), and a cold side (7), which is remote from the bladed area (3). On one side, a feed (14) for sealing fluid (15), which is assigned to the cold side (7), and a leakage fluid feed (12), which is flow-connected to the bladed area (3), open out into a mixing area (13), and on the other side a discharge line (16) branches off from the mixing area. The invention also relates to a method for discharging hot leakage fluid (17). In a turbine (1), the leakage fluid (17) passes through a radial gap (12) between a thrust compensation piston (5) of a rotor (2) and a stationary turbine part (11) and is mixed with a cooler sealing fluid (15) and discharged.

Abstract: To provide a process for the manufacture of a ceramic part which is a ceramic part resistant to temperature changes and, in particular, suitable also for high temperatures, it is suggested that a formed body be produced by forming and sintering a ceramic material essentially comprising non-oxidic ceramic components and that the ceramic part be produced from the formed body by oxidizing the ceramic material starting from a surface of the formed body.

Abstract: To improve a solar energy installation for chemical conversions comprising a receiver assembly for solar radiation and a chemical reactor which is supplied with solar radiation energy by the receiver assembly and in which chemical reactions take place due to the action of the solar radiation energy, such that optimum coupling of the solar radiation energy into the reactor is possible and, in addition, the reactor design is as simple and variable as possible and the reactor is connectable to the necessary supply devices in as easy a way as possible, it is proposed that the receiver assembly include several concentrators which each couple the solar radiation into one light guide respectively and that the light guides feed the solar radiation energy to the chemical reactor.

Abstract: An improved heat accumulator based on chemical solid/gas storage reactions is provided. A solid/gas reaction storage material resides in a container which can be charged and discharged by means of a heat carrier gas. Thus, through chemical reaction, a reaction component is released or absorbed. In order to provide the simplest structure possible with minimal loss of useful energy, the storage material is arranged in the container in a continuously apportioned configuration and such that the heat carrier gas flows directly around it. The reaction components are released into or drawn from the region through which the heat carrier gas flows.