Heat exchanger for cooling and for a pre-cooler for turbine intake air conditioning

An evaporative apparatus comprising:

• (a) a multi-substage direct evaporative cooling stage;
• (b) one or more air cleaning sub-stages of said multi-sub-stage direct evaporative stage;
• (c) a first multi-stage indirect evaporative cooling heat exchanger;
• (d) said first multi-stage indirect evaporative cooling heat exchanger linkable with a second multi-stage indirect evaporative cooling heat exchanger;
• (e) output of said first heat exchanger feedable to input of said second heat exchanger;
• (f) cool output from said second and said first linked heat exchangers combination is approximately additive of cool outputs of said second and said first linked heat exchangers individually;
• (g) multi-stage sumps wherein each sump stage, in a corresponding relationship to a stage of said indirect evaporative cooling heat exchanger, can contain sump water at different temperatures;
• (h) said separate sumps are sufficiently thermally insulated from each other to maintain different sump temperatures.

An evaporative apparatus for cooling comprising:

• (a) a multi-stage indirect evaporative cooling heat exchanger;
• (b) One or more water-spray direct evaporative cooling stage;
• (c) a final wetted media stage;
• wherein air flowing through one or more media of the evaporative apparatus is cleaned;
• (d) a multi-stage sump wherein each sump stage, in a corresponding relationship to a stage of said multi-stage, can contain sump water at different temperatures.

Humidifier and scrubber means for cooling and washing intake air to improve the performance of a gas turbine system, said system including a combustion chamber, a turbine exhausting hot gas and an air compressor for compressing ambient air to supply the combustion chamber with compressed air, said means comprising:

• (a) an indirect evaporative multi-stage heat exchanger having a dry side, a wet side and an exhaust from said wet side;
• (b) a water spray;
• (c) means for conveying ambient air through the dry side of the indirect evaporative heat exchanger to sensibly cool said air;
• (d) means for conveying said sensibly cooled air through said water spray to clean, humidify and further cool said air;
• (e) multi-stage means for collecting water that has not evaporated in the air stream;
• (f) means for conveying said humidified air to said turbine air compressor;
• (g) a water purifier, comprising:
• (h) a water evaporator heated by the hot turbine exhaust, so as to distill water supplied thereto;
• (i) a condenser disposed in the path of the wet side exhaust of the indirect evaporative heat exchanger for liquifying said distilled water vapor;
• (j) means for conveying distilled water vapor from the evaporator to the condenser;
• and
• (k) means for conveying liquified water from the condenser to said water spray.

A method for cooling and cleaning ambient air for intake use in a gas turbine system, said system including a combustion chamber, a turbine exhausting hot gas and an air compressor for compressing ambient air to supply the combustion chamber with compressed air, comprising:

• (a) sensibly cooling said ambient air with an indirect multi-stage evaporative heat exchanger of the type having a dry side, a wet side and an exhaust from said wet side;
• (b) evaporating water with excess heat from the gas turbine system;
• (c) condensing said evaporated water by heat transfer with the wet side exhaust from the indirect evaporative heat exchanger to form purified water for a water spray;
• (d) cleaning and further cooling adiabatically said sensibly cooled air with said water spray;
• (e) collecting water in a multi-stage collector that has not evaporated in the air stream;
• and
• (f) directing said cooled, cleaned air to the intake of the compressor of the gas turbine.

A method for making an evaporative apparatus for cooling comprising the step of selecting at least three lettered steps from the group comprising:

• (a) assembling a first multi-stage indirect evaporative cooling heat exchanger, further comprising the steps of:
• linking said first multi-stage indirect evaporative cooling heat exchanger with a second multi-stage indirect evaporative cooling heat exchanger;
• feeding output of said first heat exchanger to input of said second heat exchanger;
• adding cool output from said second and said first linked heat exchangers combination so as to achieve a cooling approximately additive of cooling of said second and said first linked heat exchangers, individually;
• (b) assembling a multi-stage evaporative cooling heat exchanger;
• further comprising the steps of:
• assembling a multi-sub-stage direct evaporative cooling stage;
• assembling one or more air cleaning sub-stages of said multi-sub-stage direct evaporative stage;
• (c) containing sump water in multi-stage sumps wherein each sump stage, in a corresponding relationship to a stage of said indirect evaporative cooling heat exchanger, can contain sump water at different temperatures, further comprising the steps of:
• insulating said separate sumps sufficiently thermally from each other;
• maintaining different sump temperatures;
• (d) utilizing, a portion of a dry side air flow (from a at least a last stage of a multistage indirect evaporative cooling heat exchanger) to enter the wet side evaporative airflow, further comprising the steps of:
• cooling said air sensibly relative to ambient air, whereby said air is at a lower wet bulb temperature than ambient air;
• (e) generating air turbulence with turbulence producing assistants, further comprising the steps of:
• generating moist air turbulence with turbulence producing assistants;
• increasing water film surface with surface increasing assistants;
• forming water film droplets with droplet forming assistants;
• (f) forming said dry side and wet side channels by placing in an opposed sense, channeled pre-shaped sheets of thermally conductive material together.

A method for making an evaporative apparatus comprising the steps of:

• (a) assembling a first multi-stage indirect evaporative cooling heat exchanger;
• (b) linking said first multi-stage indirect evaporative cooling heat exchanger with a second multi-stage indirect evaporative cooling heat exchanger;
• (c) feeding output of said first heat exchanger to input of said second heat exchanger;
• (d) adding cool output from said second and said first linked heat exchangers combination so as to achieve a cooling approximately additive of cooling of said second and said first linked heat exchangers, individually;
• (e) containing sump water in multi-stage sumps wherein each sump stage, in a corresponding relationship to a stage of said indirect evaporative cooling heat exchanger, can contain sump water at different temperatures;
• (f) insulating said separate sumps sufficiently thermally from each other
• (g) maintaining different sump temperatures.

The method for making a humidifier and scrubber means for cooling and washing intake air to improve the performance of a gas turbine system, comprising the steps of:

• (a) including a combustion chamber;
• (b) utilizing a turbine exhausting hot gas;
• (c) compressing ambient air with an air compressor;
• supply the combustion chamber with compressed air, further comprising the steps of:
• (i) utilizing an indirect evaporative multi-stage heat exchanger having a dry side, a wet side and an exhaust from said wet side;
• (ii) spraying water;
• (iii) conveying ambient air through the dry side of the indirect evaporative heat exchanger to sensibly cool said air;
• (iv) conveying said sensibly cooled air through said water spray to clean, humidify and further cool said air;
• (v) collecting water that has not evaporated in the air stream utilizing multi-stage means;
• (vi) conveying said humidified air to said turbine air compressor;
• (vii) purifying water, further comprising:
• (1) evaporating water heated by the hot turbine exhaust;
• (2) distilling water supplied thereto;
• (3) liquefying said distilled water vapor utilizing a condenser;
• (4) disposing said condenser in the path of the wet side exhaust of the indirect evaporative heat exchanger;
• (5) conveying distilled water vapor from the evaporator to the condenser;
• and
• (6) conveying liquefied water from the condenser to said water spray.