Air pre-cooler method and apparatus
AssigneeAMSTED Industries Incorporated
InventorsGlenn W. Smith, William D. McCloskey, Robert E. Cates
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for cooling, air which apparatus includes an indirect evaporative cooler, a direct-contact ice-water chiller, a reheat coil component, an ice-thermal-storage component and an ice-manufacturing refrigeration chiller to provide alternative air-flow paths and alternative component combinations. The method provides alternative fluid-flow paths through electable combinations of the several components to effect the desired lowering of air temperature, relative humidity and air density in the cooled air.
Claims36
A precooling system for combustion air communicated to a gas turbine, said system operable to receive ambient air at a wet bulb and dry bulb temperature, an ambient relative humidity and an ambient air density, and to provide said combustion air at a second temperature lower than ambient temperature and a second density greater than ambient density, said system comprising:
- a direct-contact-air-chiller having a fluid-to-air exchange chilling media, ana ri inlet side, an air outlet side, a fluid inlet, a cooling fluid at a first temperature, and a sump for recovery of coolant fluid passing through said media from said fluid inlet passage, said direct-contact-air-chiller operable to receive air at an ambient temperature and density for reduction of said ambient air temperature and absolute humidity, and to increase said air density for communication to said gas turbine;
- means for reducing said cooling fluid temperature below said ambient wet-bulb temperature, which reduced-temperature fluid in said direct-contact-air-chiller is operable to reduce said ambient air temperature below said ambient wet-bulb temperature and to reduce said air absolute humidity;
- a pump,
- a first conduit connected between said pump and said fluid inlet for communication of said coolant fluid to said fluid-temperature-reducing means, which coolant fluid passes through said chilling media to cool said ambient air communicating through said chilling media from said inlet side for discharge from said outlet side;
- a first valve coupled to said sump and said fluid-temperature-reducing means, said first valve having a first servomechanism,
- a second conduit connected between said first valve and said fluid-temperature-reducing means;
- a second valve having a second servomechanism and coupled to said pump, said first valve and said fluid-temperature-reducing means,
- said first valve operable by said first servomechanism to communicate fluid from said sump to any of said second valve and said fluid-temperature reducing means, which second valve is operable by said second servomechanism to communicate said coolant fluid from any of said first valve and said fluid-temperature-reducing means to said pump for recirculating coolant fluid at a predetermined fluid temperature to said direct contact chiller for treating said ambient air.
A precooling system for combustion air communicated to a gas turbine, said system operable to receive ambient air at a wet bulb and dry bulb temperature, an ambient relative humidity and an ambient air density, and to provide said combustion air at a second temperature lower-than-ambient air temperature and greater-than-ambient air density, said system comprising:
- a direct-contact-chiller with a fluid inlet, a sump and a first fluid for cooling,
- said direct-contact-chiller operable to receive air and reduce the air temperature;
- means for reducing said first-coolant-fluid temperature below said ambient-air, wet-bulb temperature, which cooled fluid is operable to reduce said air temperature below said air wet-bulb temperature and to reduce the air absolute humidity;
- first means for recirculating said first coolant fluid from said sump to said direct-contact-chiller fluid inlet;
- means for coupling said first recirculating means and said fluid-temperature-reducing means to communicate spent first cooling fluid form said sump and, to channel and control the rate of cooling fluid flow to said recirculating means and said fluid-temperature-reducing means to provide cooling fluid at said fluid inlet at a predetermined fluid temperature for said direct-contact-chiller;
- an indirect-evaporative-cooler with a second fluid for cooling,
- said indirect evaporative cooler having a tubular coil with a fluid passage, an entry end and an exit end,
- at least one fin mounted on said tubular coil to enhance air contact and heat transfer.
- a cooling tower for said second cooling fluid, which has a second fluid inlet passage and a second sump;
- second means for recirculating said second cooling fluid coupled between said cooling-tower sump and said cooling-tower second fluid inlet passage,
- said tubular coil serially positioned between said second means for recirculating and said cooling-tower second fluid inlet passage for recirculating said second coolant fluid through said coil;
- said indirect evaporative cooler operable to receive said ambient air and pass it past said coil for reduction of said ambient air temperature, maintenance of said air absolute humidity and communication of said air to one of said direct-contact-chiller and said gas turbine.
A method for providing reduced-temperature air to a gas-turbine at a temperature less than air cooled by a fluid at about ambient air temperature, said reduced-temperature air is at a density greater than ambient air density, said reduced-temperature air provided through a system having a direct-contact air chiller with a sump, a fluid inlet and a cooling fluid recirculable through said direct-contact-chiller to cool air passing therethrough, means for recirculating said fluid between said sump and said inlet, and means for coupling said sump and recirculating means, said method comprising:
- a. providing an ice-chiller apparatus with a thermal storage unit for receiving and reducing the temperature of said cooling fluid;
- b. connecting said sump and said thermal storage unit with said coupling means for communication of said fluid to said thermal storage unit;
- c. communicating said cooling fluid from said sump to said thermal storage unit for reducing the temperature of said cooling fluid below said ambient-air temperature;
- d. coupling said thermal storage unit to said recirculating means to communicate said reduced-temperature fluid to said inlet and cooler;
- e. providing an indirect-evaporative-cooler operable to receive said ambient air and reduce the temperature of said ambient air to a second temperature less than said ambient-air temperature;
- f. channeling said ambient air through said indirect-evaporative-cooler for communication to one of said gas turbine and said direct-contact-chiller;
- and,
- g. reducing the temperature of said air at said second temperature in said direct-contact-chiller to provide said reduced-temperature air to said gas turbine at a third temperature less than said second temperature and said first-reduced temperature.
A air precooling system operable to receive ambient air at a wet bulb and dry bulb temperature, an ambient air relative humidity and an ambient air density and to discharge air at a predetermined lower than ambient temperature and greater than ambient air density, said system comprising:
- a direct-contact-air chiller with a first fluid for cooling, a fluid inlet and a fluid sump;
- an indirect evaporative cooler with a second fluid for cooling;
- means for reducing said first cooling fluid temperature below said ambient air wet-bulb temperature;
- first means for recirculating said first cooling fluid;
- first means for coupling said sump to said cooling fluid-temperature reducing means and said first recirculating means to said direct evaporative cooler, said first means for recirculating operable to transfer said first cooling fluid from said fluid sump to said fluid inlet from each of said direct contact chiller fluid sump and said fluid temperature reducing means;
- second means for recirculating said second cooling fluid through said indirect evaporative cooler;
- a first cooling tower coupled downstream of said indirect evaporative cooler and upstream of said second recirculating means, said cooling tower operable to receive said second cooling fluid;
- means for reheating said discharged air, which reheating means has a reheating-means inlet port and a discharge port;
- second means for coupling said second recirculating means and said reheating means at said reheating-means inlet port downstream from said indirect evaporative cooler, which reheating means is coupled to said second recirculating means at said discharge port downstream of said second coupling means, said reheating means operable to warm said discharge air to about said predetermined temperature and reduce the relative humidity at a constant absolute humidity.
A precooling system for combustion air communicated to a gas turbine, said system operable to receive ambient air at a wet bulb and dry bulb temperature, an ambient air relative humidity and an ambient air density and to provide said combustion air at a predetermined lower than ambient temperature and a greater than ambient air density, said system comprising:
- a direct-contact-air chiller with a first fluid for cooling, media for cooling, an air inlet side, an air outlet side, a fluid inlet and a fluid sump for recovery of said first cooling fluid flowing through said media;
- an indirect evaporative cooler with a second fluid for cooling;
- means for reducing said first cooling fluid temperature below said ambient air wet-bulb temperature;
- first means for recirculating said first coolant fluid, said recirculating means having a first pump and a first conduit between said first pump and said direct-contact-air chiller fluid inlet;
- first means for coupling said sump with said first recirculating means and said fluid temperature reducing means for communication of said first cooling fluid to said fluid-temperature-reducing means and said first recirculating means;
- said first recirculating means connected to said direct-contact-air chiller fluid inlet for communication of said first cooling fluid from said sump and said fluid-temperature-reduction means to said fluid inlet and said media to cool said ambient air passing from said air inlet side to said air outlet side;
- said first coupling means having a first valve, a second valve and a second conduit connecting said first valve and said fluid temperature reducing means,
- said first valve having a first servomechanism, said first valve coupled to said sump and said second valve, which first valve is operable to said first servomechanism to communicate first cooling fluid from said sump to said second valve and said fluid-temperature-reducing means,
- said second valve having a second servomechanism, said second valve coupled to said first pump and said fluid-temperature-reducing means, said second servomechanism operable to actuate said second valve to communicate said first cooling fluid from said first valve and from said fluid-temperature-reducing means to said first pump for recirculation of said direct-contact-air chiller fluid inlet;
- second means for recirculating said second cooling fluid through said indirect evaporative cooler;
- means for reheating said discharged air, which reheating means has a reheating-means inlet port and a discharge port;
- second means for coupling said second recirculating means and said reheating means at said reheating-means inlet port downstream from said indirect evaporative cooler, which reheating means is coupled to said second recirculating means at said discharge port downstream of said second coupling means, said reheating means operable to warm said discharge air to about said predetermined temperature and reduce the relative humidity at a constant absolute humidity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.