Abstract: A method of operating a solar energy plant and a solar plant are disclosed. Thermal energy produced in the plant is used to heat a first volume of water and charge a hot store in the plant. Electricity produced in the plant operates a heat engine or other device, such as a refrigeration unit, to extract heat and consequently cool a second volume of water and charge a cold store. As desired, energy is transferred from the hot store to a heat engine and energy is transferred from the heat engine to the cold store to operate the heat engine to produce power in the plant.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, methods, and non-transitory media for providing prescient and adaptive point-of-sale services via electronic networks are discussed herein. Some embodiments may include a system with one or more servers. The one or more servers may be configured to generate digital consumer tokens and provide the digital consumer tokens to consumer devices for sharing with merchant devices. When a merchant device receives the digital consumer token, the merchant device may forward the digital consumer token to the one or more servers in exchange for consumer data to facilitate consumer service. In some embodiments, the one or more servers may be configured to provide point-of-sale interfaces that adapt to different consumer preferences or consumer device signals. Some embodiments may provide for consumer interfaces that allow consumers to manage their electronic identity at various (e.g., merchant) locations.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, methods, and non-transitory media for providing prescient and adaptive point-of-sale services via electronic networks are discussed herein. Some embodiments may include a system with one or more servers. The one or more servers may be configured to generate digital consumer tokens and provide the digital consumer tokens to consumer devices for sharing with merchant devices. When a merchant device receives the digital consumer token, the merchant device may forward the digital consumer token to the one or more servers in exchange for consumer data to facilitate consumer service. In some embodiments, the one or more servers may be configured to provide point-of-sale interfaces that adapt to different consumer preferences or consumer device signals. Some embodiments may provide for consumer interfaces that allow consumers to manage their electronic identity at various (e.g., merchant) locations.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, methods, and non-transitory media for providing prescient and adaptive point-of-sale services via electronic networks are discussed herein. Some embodiments may include a system with one or more servers. The one or more servers may be configured to generate digital consumer tokens and provide the digital consumer tokens to consumer devices for sharing with merchant devices. When a merchant device receives the digital consumer token, the merchant device may forward the digital consumer token to the one or more servers in exchange for consumer data to facilitate consumer service. In some embodiments, the one or more servers may be configured to provide point-of-sale interfaces that adapt to different consumer preferences or consumer device signals. Some embodiments may provide for consumer interfaces that allow consumers to manage their electronic identity at various (e.g., merchant) locations.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, methods, and non-transitory media for providing prescient and adaptive point-of-sale services via electronic networks are discussed herein. Some embodiments may include a system with one or more servers. The one or more servers may be configured to generate digital consumer tokens and provide the digital consumer tokens to consumer devices for sharing with merchant devices. When a merchant device receives the digital consumer token, the merchant device may forward the digital consumer token to the one or more servers in exchange for consumer data to facilitate consumer service. In some embodiments, the one or more servers may be configured to provide point-of-sale interfaces that adapt to different consumer preferences or consumer device signals. Some embodiments may provide for consumer interfaces that allow consumers to manage their electronic identity at various (e.g., merchant) locations.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, methods, and non-transitory media for providing prescient and adaptive point-of-sale services via electronic networks are discussed herein. Some embodiments may include a system with one or more servers. The one or more servers may be configured to generate digital consumer tokens and provide the digital consumer tokens to consumer devices for sharing with merchant devices. When a merchant device receives the digital consumer token, the merchant device may forward the digital consumer token to the one or more servers in exchange for consumer data to facilitate consumer service. In some embodiments, the one or more servers may be configured to provide point-of-sale interfaces that adapt to different consumer preferences or consumer device signals. Some embodiments may provide for consumer interfaces that allow consumers to manage their electronic identity at various (e.g., merchant) locations.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, methods, and non-transitory media for providing prescient and adaptive point-of-sale services via electronic networks are discussed herein. Some embodiments may include a system with one or more servers. The one or more servers may be configured to generate digital consumer tokens and provide the digital consumer tokens to consumer devices for sharing with merchant devices. When a merchant device receives the digital consumer token, the merchant device may forward the digital consumer token to the one or more servers in exchange for consumer data to facilitate consumer service. In some embodiments, the one or more servers may be configured to provide point-of-sale interfaces that adapt to different consumer preferences or consumer device signals. Some embodiments may provide for consumer interfaces that allow consumers to manage their electronic identity at various (e.g., merchant) locations.

Abstract: Process for carbonylating an alcohol or reactive derivative thereof, by (a) feeding one or more feed streams to a reaction zone, at least one feed stream containing an alcohol or reactive derivative thereof, and at least one feed stream contains CO, (b) maintaining in the reaction zone a temperature and pressure sufficient to allow an exothermic carbonylation reaction to occur to produce a carboxylic acid or carboxylic acid anhydride, (c) removing one or more product streams containing carboxylic acid or carboxylic acid anhydride from the reaction zone, and (d) transferring heat contained in one or more product streams to a first heat-exchange stream. Heat is transferred from a second heat-exchange stream to a feed stream of step (a) before the feed stream is fed to the reaction zone, and the temperature of the second heat-exchange stream before heat transfer is lower than that of the one or more product streams.

Abstract: A process for the carbonylation of an alcohol and/or reactive derivative thereof, in which one or more reaction zone feed streams are fed to a reaction zone in which exothermic carbonylation takes place to produce one or more product streams. Heat from at least a portion of the one or more product streams is fed to a first heat-exchange stream, such as a supply of pressurised steam. The process is characterised by heat from a second heat-exchange stream, having a temperature lower than that of the one or more product streams, being transferred to a reaction zone feed stream, so that the one or more product streams comprise heat originating from the second heat-exchange stream and heat generated by the exothermic carbonylation reaction. Thus, heat originating from the second heat-exchange stream can be transferred to the first heat-exchange stream, resulting in reduced heat loss and greater process efficiency.