Indirect contact chiller air-precooler method and apparatus

A precooling system for combustion air communicated to a gas turbine, said system operable to receive and treat ambient air, and to communicate said combustion air to said turbine at a desired outlet temperature, said ambient air having a wet-bulb temperature, a dry-bulb temperature, an absolute humidity and an ambient air density, said combustion-air outlet temperature being less than said ambient-air, wet-bulb temperature and said combustion air outlet density greater than said ambient-air density, said system comprising:

• an indirect-evaporative chiller operable to reduce the temperature of air passing through said indirect-evaporative chiller to a first temperature, a first absolute humidity and a first air density;
• an indirect-contact chiller having an air inlet side,
• an air outlet side,
• a coolant fluid inlet,
• a coolant fluid outlet, and
• means for exchanging heat between a first coolant fluid and said air passing through said indirect-contact chiller,
• said turbine coupled to said air outlet side to receive said combustion air communicating through said indirect-contact chiller;
• an ice thermal storage unit with a phase-changing fluid in said unit and means for reducing the temperature of said phase-change fluid to less than said air wet-bulb temperature and to freeze at least a portion of said fluid;
• said phase-change fluid operable as said first coolant fluid in said indirect-contact chiller;
• means for connecting said indirect-contact chiller and said thermal storage unit to communicate a phase-changing fluid;
• means for recirculating a fluid, which recirculating means is coupled to said connecting means to circulate a phase-changing fluid from said thermal storage unit to said heat exchange means of said indirect-contact chiller to reduce said first temperature of said air flowing through said indirect-contact chiller to less than said ambient-air wet-bulb temperature.