In this dataset, both are captured together because the search terms combine bottoming-cycle and combined heat power language with operational claim elements such as pinch analysis, duct firing and condensate recovery. A steam bottoming cycle patent typically claims the recovery of exhaust heat from a topping cycle, most often a gas turbine, into a steam turbine for additional power. A combined heat and power patent may claim the same recovery but direct part of the output to process heat rather than power, so the two overlap heavily in claim language and are best read as one landscape rather than two separate ones.

The ranked field covers 100 companies, with the top-ranked assignee holding 73 records and the fifth-placed company holding 29. The top 5 assignees combined account for 23.5% of the 1,046 records in scope, which is a real lead but leaves the majority of filings spread across a long tail of smaller filers. Several of the largest historical filers show no filings in the most recent tracked year, though that figure is affected by publication lag and should not be read as a definite exit from the field.

Filings grew substantially between 2021 and 2024, rising from 18 to 43 records, a 139% increase over that span, with a peak of 44 filings in 2023. Counts for 2025 and 2026 appear lower, but that is expected: patent publication lags actual filing by roughly 18 months, so the most recent one to two years in any patent dataset are always undercounted. Based on the complete years available, the trend through 2024 is one of sustained growth rather than decline.