Electrostatic evaporative cooling system
AssigneeSiemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
InventorPaul David Ritland
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An evaporative cooling system for applying an electrical charge to a plurality of droplets in an intake airstream of a turbine engine to increase the propensity of the droplets to evaporate before the droplets reach the compressor. The evaporative cooling system may include one or more fluid emitting devices for producing a plurality of droplets and may include one or more electrodes for applying an electrical charge to the plurality of droplets. The evaporative cooling system may also apply an electrical charge to one or more baffles positioned downstream of the fluid emitting devices and upstream from the compressor to collect droplets that have not evaporated before the droplets reach the compressor.
Claims19
A method of evaporating cooling fluids in a turbine engine, comprising:
- spraying a cooling fluid from at least one fluid emitting device into a duct, whereby a plurality of droplets is formed;
- applying an electrical charge to the plurality of droplets forming charged droplets;
- and
- directing the plurality of charged droplets through the duct upstream of a compressor of a turbine engine whereby substantially all of the plurality of charged droplets are evaporated before reaching the compressor.
A turbine engine, comprising:
- a compressor having a plurality of turbine blades coupled to a rotatable disc;
- at least one duct coupled to the compressor for directing air into the compressor;
- at least one fluid emitting device for spraying a cooling fluid into the at least one duct, whereby a plurality of droplets are formed;
- and
- at least one electrode positioned in the duct for applying an electrical charge to at least a portion of the plurality of droplets.
An evaporative cooling system for a turbine engine, comprising:
- at least one duct for directing air into a compressor of a turbine engine;
- at least one fluid emitting device for spraying a cooling fluid into the at least one duct, whereby a plurality of droplets are formed;
- at least one electrode positioned in the duct for applying an electrical charge to at least a portion of the plurality of droplets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.