Power conversion systems

1. A power plant, comprising:

a compressed air storage system including an air compressor and a compressed air storage vessel;

two or more distributed power modules fluidically coupled in parallel to the compressed air storage system, each of said two or more distributed power modules further including a heat source;

an expander device having an inlet fluidically coupled to said compressed air storage system, and an outlet fluidically said two or more distributed power modules, said expander for converting energy of a gas received at said inlet to mechanical power;

a heat exchanger fluidically coupled to the expander device inlet and the expander device outlet for effecting a transfer of heat from gas exiting the expander device to gas entering the turbine expander;

a generator connected to said expander device for converting mechanical power to electrical power;

said expander device comprising a turbine expander having a rotatable shaft, an inlet fluidically coupled to said compressed air storage system, and an outlet fluidically said two or more distributed power modules, said turbine expander for converting energy of a gas received at said inlet to rotary shaft power;

a controller for optimizing a speed of the turbine expander responsive to any one or more of temperature of an inlet gas, temperature of an outlet gas, pressure or an inlet gas, or pressure of an outlet gas; and

a supplementary hydrogen or hydrocarbon-based selectable heat supply for heating a gas to be delivered to the inlet of said turbine expander.

2. A power plant, comprising:

a source of compressed air including a compressed air storage vessel and one or more air compressors for charging said storage vessel;

a first power generator module including a first recuperative heat exchanger, a first heat source, and a first expander turbine module;

said first recuperative heat exchanger fluidicly coupled to said storage vessel for preheating compressed air received from said storage vessel;

said first heat source fluidicly coupled to said first recuperative heat exchanger for heating preheated compressed air received from said first recuperative heat exchanger;

said first expander turbine module fluidicly coupled to said first heat source for receiving heated compressed air from said first heat source and generating rotary mechanical power from said heated compressed air, said first expander turbine module including a first shaft for power extraction;

a second power generation module including a second recuperative heat exchanger, a second heat source, and a second expander turbine module;

said second recuperative heat exchanger fluidicly coupled to said first expander turbine module for preheating air received from said first expander turbine module;

said second heat source fluidicly coupled to said second recuperative heat exchanger for heating preheated air received from said second recuperative heat exchanger; and

said second expander turbine module fluidicly coupled to said second heat source for receiving heated air from said second heat source and generating rotary mechanical power from said heated air, said second expander turbine module including a second shaft connected to an electrical generator or alternator.

3. The power plant of claim 2 , wherein said second heat source is a solar power concentrator comprising one or more reflective mirrors and a solar absorbing heat exchanger.

4. The power plant of claim 2 , wherein said first shaft for power extraction is connected to an electrical generator or alternator.

5. The power plant of claim 2 , wherein said first shaft for power extraction is connected to a mechanical drive shaft of an air compressor.

6. The power plant of claim 2 , wherein said one or more air compressors includes a first air compressor fluidicly coupled to a second air compressor.

7. The power plant of claim 6 , wherein said first air compressor is fluidicly connected to said second power generation module.

8. The power plant of claim 2 , wherein said one or more air compressors includes a first, high pressure compressor and a second, low pressure compressor.