APPARATUS AND METHOD OF OPERATING A TURBINE ASSEMBLY

• US 20140093351A1
• Filed: 10/01/2012
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Motakef, Abbas, Mestroni, Julio Enrique
• Granted Patent: US 9,897,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/057 Control or regulation conjointly with fuel supply control F02C9/50, with nozzle area control F02K1/16
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/143 before or between the compressor stages

Abstract

A method of operating a turbine assembly is provided. The method includes receiving a flow of air at a filter house that includes a first heat exchanger. The temperature of the air is controlled with the first heat exchanger by one of selectively cooling the air and by selectively heating the air. The air is then channeled from the first heat exchanger to a second heat exchanger to facilitate cooling the air.

Claims

1. A method of operating a turbine assembly, said method comprising:

receiving a flow of air at a filter house including a first heat exchanger;

controlling a temperature of the air with the first heat exchanger by one of selectively cooling the air and by selectively heating the air; and

channeling the air from the first heat exchanger to a second heat exchanger to facilitate cooling the air.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling a temperature of the air further comprises at least one of:

cooling the air with the first heat exchanger to facilitate reducing a wet bulb temperature of the air while the air humidity ratio remains substantially constant; and

heating the air with the first heat exchanger to facilitate increasing a dry bulb temperature of the air while the air humidity ratio remains substantially constant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling a temperature of the air further comprises cooling the air with the first heat exchanger such that the relative humidity of the air is maintained less than about 75%.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling a temperature of the air further comprises heating the air with the first heat exchanger to facilitate preventing ice build-up on a filter house element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling a temperature of the air further comprises heating the air with the first heat exchanger to facilitate improving turbine efficiency during partial-load operation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling a temperature of the air comprises channeling a flow of fluid through a coil of the first heat exchanger to facilitate at least one of transferring heat from the air and transferring heat to the air.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein channeling the air from the first heat exchanger further comprises evaporatively cooling the air with the second heat exchanger.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising filtering the air with a first filter positioned upstream from the first heat exchanger and a second filter positioned upstream from the second heat exchanger.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising selectively bypassing the first heat exchanger to channel the air towards the second heat exchanger.

10. An apparatus for use with a turbine assembly, said apparatus comprising:

a first heat exchanger configured to control a temperature of air flowing into the turbine assembly by cooling the air when said first heat exchanger is in a first operational mode and by heating the air when said first heat exchanger is in a second operational mode; and

a second heat exchanger coupled downstream from said first heat exchanger, said second heat exchanger is configured to cool the air channeled from said first heat exchanger.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said first heat exchanger comprises a coil for receiving a flow of fluid therethrough, wherein the fluid is configured to at least one of transfer heat from the air and transfer heat to the air.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said coil is configured to contact the air as the air is channeled through said first heat exchanger.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the fluid channeled through said coil is at least one of water, a water mixture, a refrigerant, and combinations thereof.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said coil comprises an inlet and an outlet, wherein said inlet is configured to receive regenerated fluid and said outlet is configured to discharge spent fluid.

15. A gas turbine assembly comprising:

a first filter house comprising;

a first heat exchanger configured to control a temperature of air channeled through said first filter house by cooling the air when said first heat exchanger is in a first operational mode and by heating the air when said first heat exchanger is in a second operational mode; and

a second filter house positioned downstream from said first filter house, said second filter house comprising;

a second heat exchanger configured to cool the air channeled from said first heat exchanger.

16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein said second heat exchanger comprises an evaporative cooler.

17. The assembly of claim 15, wherein said second filter house further comprises a drift eliminator located downstream from said second heat exchanger.

18. The assembly of claim 15, wherein said first filter house further comprises a first filter positioned upstream from said first heat exchanger and said second filter house further comprises a second filter positioned upstream from said second heat exchanger.

19. The assembly of claim 18 further comprising a bypass system positioned between said first filter house and said second filter house, said bypass system configured to circumvent said first filter house and to selectively channel air towards said second filter house.

20. The assembly of claim 18, wherein said first filter is installed on a swinging panel configured to move said first filter such that air is channeled directly towards said first heat exchanger.