Method of increasing capacity of an air-cooled power generator

A method of increasing capacity of an air-cooled power generator comprising a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, a shaft within the housing, a rotor driven by the shaft, a stator within the housing and surrounding the rotor, and a blower for generating a flow of cooling air from the inlet and through the outlet to thereby cool the rotor and stator, the method comprising:

• retrofitting a water evaporative cooler to the air-cooled power generator, the water evaporative cooler comprising a water absorbent media, a controllable water inlet for controllably delivery of water from a water supply to the water absorbent media, at least one sensor, and a controller for operating the controllable water inlet based upon the at least one sensor, the retrofitting comprising
• mounting the water evaporative cooler adjacent the housing so that the water absorbent media is in fluid communication with the flow of cooling air upstream of the rotor and stator,
• connecting the controllable water inlet to the water supply,
• mounting the at least one sensor for sensing at least one parameter relating to the flow of cooling air, and
• connecting the controller to the at least one sensor;
• and
• operating the air-cooled generator to generate the flow of cooling air while sensing the at least one parameter and controlling delivering water from the water supply to the water absorbent media based upon the sensing so that water evaporates therefrom and further cools the flow of cooling air to thereby increase the capacity of the air-cooled power generator.

A method of increasing capacity of an air-cooled power generator comprising a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, a shaft within the housing, a rotor driven by the shaft, a stator within the housing and surrounding the rotor, and a blower for generating a flow of cooling air from the inlet and through the outlet to thereby cool the rotor and stator, the method comprising:

• retrofitting a water evaporative cooler to the air-cooled power generator to thereby increase the capacity of the air-cooled generator, the water evaporative cooler comprising a water absorbent media, a controllable water inlet for controllably delivering water from a water supply to the water absorbent media, at least one sensor, and a controller for operating the controllable water inlet based upon the at least one sensor, the retrofitting comprising
• mounting the water evaporative cooler adjacent the housing so that the water absorbent media is in fluid communication with the flow of cooling air upstream of the rotor and stator,
• connecting the controllable water inlet to the water supply,
• mounting the at least one sensor for sensing at least one parameter relating to the flow of cooling air, and
• connecting the controller to the at least one sensor.