Water Cooling System For Intercooled Turbines

A system for cooling the partially compressed air of a gas turbine compressor, said system comprising:

• a gas turbine having a first compression section with an air inlet and an air outlet and a second compression section with an air inlet and an air outlet;
• an intercooler heat exchanger having an air inlet, an air outlet, a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, wherein the intercooler heat exchanger air inlet is in fluid communication with the first compression section air outlet and wherein the intercooler heat exchanger air outlet is in fluid communication with the second compression section air inlet;
• and
• a chiller having a condenser liquid inlet and a condenser liquid outlet and an evaporator liquid inlet and an evaporator liquid outlet, wherein the evaporator liquid inlet is in fluid communication with the intercooler heat exchanger liquid outlet and the evaporator liquid outlet is in fluid communication with the intercooler heat exchanger liquid inlet.

A system for cooling the partially compressed air of a gas turbine compressor, said system comprising:

• a gas turbine having a first compression section with an air inlet and an air outlet and a second compression section with an air inlet and an air outlet;
• an intercooler heat exchanger having an air inlet, an air outlet, a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, wherein the intercooler heat exchanger air inlet is in fluid communication with the first compression section air outlet and wherein the intercooler heat exchanger air outlet is in fluid communication with the second compression section air inlet;
• and
• a thermal energy storage tank containing a column of liquid characterized by a top and a bottom, said thermal energy storage tank having a first fluid port in communication with the top of the liquid column and a second fluid port in communication with the bottom of the liquid column, wherein said first fluid port is in fluid communication with said intercooler heat exchanger liquid outlet and the second fluid port is in fluid communication with said intercooler heat exchanger liquid inlet

A system for cooling the partially compressed air of a gas turbine compressor, said system comprising:

• a gas turbine having a first compression section with an air inlet and an air outlet and a second compression section with an air inlet and an air outlet;
• an intercooler heat exchanger having an air inlet, an air outlet, a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, wherein the intercooler heat exchanger air inlet is in fluid communication with the first compression section air outlet and wherein the intercooler heat exchanger air outlet is in fluid communication with the second compression section air inlet;
• and
• a thermal energy storage tank containing a column of liquid characterized by a top and a bottom, said thermal energy storage tank having a first fluid port in communication with the top of the liquid column and a second fluid port in communication with the bottom of the liquid column, wherein said first fluid port is in fluid communication with the outlet of a third heat exchanger which may transfer heat from an intercooler cooling liquid which transfers heat from the intercooler heat exchanger.

A method for cooling the partially compressed air of a gas turbine compressor, said method comprising:

• providing a gas turbine having a first air compression section and a second air compression section;
• providing an intercooler heat exchanger in fluid communication with the air compression sections of the gas turbine;
• providing a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the intercooler heat exchanger;
• providing a chiller having a condenser in fluid communication with the second heat exchanger,
• during operation of the gas turbine, removing partially compressed air from the first compression section, passing a portion of the removed, partially compressed air through the intercooler heat exchanger to lower the temperature of the removed, partially compressed air by heat exchange with a heat transfer liquid circulating between said intercooler heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger, thereby raising the temperature of the heat transfer liquid, introducing the cooled, partially compressed air into the second compression section of the gas turbine, and introducing the heated heat transfer liquid into the second heat exchanger;
• and
• when the gas turbine is not operating, circulating a heat transfer liquid from a condenser of a chiller, passing a portion of the circulating heat transfer liquid through the second heat exchanger to lower the temperature of the circulating heat transfer liquid, then introducing the cooled, heat transfer liquid back to the condenser.

A method for cooling the partially compressed air of a gas turbine compressor, said method comprising:

• providing a gas turbine having a first air compression section and a second air compression section;
• providing an intercooler heat exchanger in fluid communication with the air compression sections of the gas turbine;
• providing a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger in fluid communication with the intercooler heat exchanger;
• providing a thermal energy storage tank in fluid communication with the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, said thermal energy storage tank containing a column of liquid characterized by a top and a bottom;
• and
• during operation of the gas turbine, removing partially compressed air from the first compression section, passing a portion of the removed, partially compressed air through the intercooler heat exchanger to lower the temperature of the removed, partially compressed air by heat exchange with a heat transfer liquid circulating between said intercooler heat exchanger and said liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, thereby raising the temperature of the heat transfer liquid, introducing the cooled, partially compressed air into the second compression section of the gas turbine, and passing a portion of the heated heat transfer liquid through the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger to lower the temperature of the heated heat transfer liquid by heat exchange with chilled liquid from the thermal energy storage tank.

A method for cooling the partially compressed air of a gas turbine compressor, said method comprising:

• providing a gas turbine having a first air compression section and a second air compression section;
• providing an intercooler heat exchanger in fluid communication with the air compression sections of the gas turbine;
• providing a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger in fluid communication with the intercooler heat exchanger;
• providing a chiller having an evaporator in fluid communication with the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger;
• and
• during operation of the gas turbine, removing partially compressed air from the first compression section, passing a portion of the removed, partially compressed air through the intercooler heat exchanger to lower the temperature of the removed, partially compressed air by heat exchange with a heat transfer fluid circulating between said intercooler heat exchanger and said liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, thereby raising the temperature of the heat transfer fluid, introducing the cooled, partially compressed air into the second compression section of the gas turbine, and passing a portion of the heated heat transfer fluid through the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger to lower the temperature of the heated heat transfer fluid by heat exchange with liquid from the evaporator before circulating the liquid back to the condenser.

A method for cooling the partially compressed air of a gas turbine compressor, said method comprising:

• providing a gas turbine having a first air compression section and a second air compression section;
• providing an intercooler heat exchanger in fluid communication with the air compression sections of the gas turbine;
• providing a chiller having an evaporator and a condenser;
• and
• during operation of the gas turbine, removing partially compressed air from the first compression section, passing a portion of the removed, partially compressed air through the intercooler heat exchanger to lower the temperature of the removed, partially compressed air by heat exchange with liquid leaving the condenser, thereby raising the temperature of the circulating liquid, introducing the cooled, partially compressed air into the second compression section of the gas turbine, and taking the warmed circulating liquid leaving the intercooler and cooling it in a second heat exchanger.

A method for cooling the inlet air of a gas turbine compressor, said method comprising:

• providing a gas turbine having a first air compression section and a second air compression section;
• providing an intercooler heat exchanger in fluid communication with the air compression sections of the gas turbine;
• providing a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the intercooler heat exchanger;
• providing a thermal energy storage tank in fluid communication with gas turbine inlet air cooling coil, said thermal energy storage tank containing a column of liquid characterized by a top and a bottom;
• during operation of the gas turbine, removing partially compressed air from the first compression section, passing a portion of the removed, partially compressed air through the intercooler heat exchanger to lower the temperature of the removed, partially compressed air by heat exchange with a heat transfer liquid circulating between said intercooler heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger, thereby raising the temperature of the heat transfer liquid, introducing the cooled, partially compressed air into the second compression section of the gas turbine, and passing a portion of the heated heat transfer liquid through the second heat exchanger to lower the temperature of the heated heat transfer liquid;
• and
• when the gas turbine is not operating, circulating heat transfer liquid from the condenser to the second heat exchanger and then back to the condenser and circulating a portion of chilled liquid from the evaporator of the chiller to a thermal energy storage tank.

A method for cooling the inlet air of a gas turbine, said method comprising:

• providing an inlet air cooling coil in fluid communication with the evaporator of a chiller:
• providing a thermal energy storage tank in fluid communication with gas turbine inlet air cooling coil and the evaporator of said chiller, said thermal energy storage tank containing a column of liquid comprised primarily of water, said tank characterized by a top and a bottom;
• providing a liquid to air heat exchanger which will be in fluid communication with the condenser of said chiller;
• when chiller is operating, pumping a separate heat transfer liquid through the condenser and then through said liquid to air heat exchanger to cool the heat transfer liquid by means of heat transfer with the ambient air at said liquid to air heat exchanger and then circulating cooled heat transfer liquid back to said condenser;
• when the gas turbine is not operating, circulating water from near the top of the thermal storage tank to the evaporator of said chiller to drop its temperature, then routing some or all of the water back to near the bottom of the thermal storage tank;
• and
• during certain times of the day or year when the ambient temperature is above approx 50 F and the gas turbine is operating, circulating a portion of water from near the bottom of the thermal storage tank to the gas turbine inlet air cooling coil and then circulating that portion of water back to near the top of the thermal storage tank.