Apparatus and methods of cooling a hot fluid stream
First Claim
1. Apparatus comprising:
- a first heat exchanger sized to cool and/or condense a hot fluid stream passed into contact therewith by rejection of heat to a first cooling fluid up to an average predetermined temperature and flow of the first cooling fluid, with said heat exchanger having inadequate cooling capacity during peak cooling conditions,means to pass the hot fluid stream through the first heat exchanger in indirect heat exchange with the first cooling fluid,a second heat exchanger for cooling the hot fluid stream when heat rejection therefrom to the first cooling fluid alone provides inadequate cooling of the hot fluid stream in the first heat exchanger,the second heat exchanger being arranged to be in a series or parallel position with respect to the first heat exchanger,means to pass the hot fluid stream through the second heat exchanger,a hot reservoir for a secondary cooling liquid when hot,a cold reservoir for the secondary cooling liquid when cold,the capacities of the hot and cold reservoirs being adequate to hold the entire volume of secondary cooling liquid for the peak cooling conditions,a conduit from the cold reservoir to the second heat exchanger for supplying cold secondary cooling liquid in indirect heat exchange to the hot fluid stream passed through the second heat exchanger,a conduit for withdrawing hot secondary cooling liquid from the second heat exchanger and delivering it to the hot reservoir,a conduit communicating with the hot reservoir and a cooler for delivering hot secondary cooling liquid from the hot reservoir to the cooler to be cooled, anda conduit communicating with the cooler and the cold reservoir for delivering cold secondary cooling liquid from the cooler to the cold reservoir.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A hot fluid stream is cooled by contacting it, in indirect heat exchange, with a base cooling fluid so long as the base cooling fluid accepts heat rejected from the hot fluid stream and adequately cools the same. When the cooling capacity of the base cooling fluid is inadequate supplemental cooling is provided contemporaneously and indirectly by contacting the hot fluid stream with a secondary cooling liquid which is cold thereby heating the secondary cooling liquid. The heated secondary cooling liquid is delivered to a hot reservoir for storage. The hot secondary cooling liquid is later removed from the hot reservoir, cooled and delivered to a cold reservoir for storage. The cold secondary cooling liquid is removed when needed from the cold reservoir and again delivered into indirect heat exchange with the hot fluid stream when the base cooling fluid provides inadequate cooling for the hot fluid stream.
The base cooling fluid can be a refrigerant such as ammonia and the secondary cooling liquid can be water. The hot fluid stream can be steam condensed in a condenser of an electric power generating plant.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. Apparatus comprising:
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a first heat exchanger sized to cool and/or condense a hot fluid stream passed into contact therewith by rejection of heat to a first cooling fluid up to an average predetermined temperature and flow of the first cooling fluid, with said heat exchanger having inadequate cooling capacity during peak cooling conditions, means to pass the hot fluid stream through the first heat exchanger in indirect heat exchange with the first cooling fluid, a second heat exchanger for cooling the hot fluid stream when heat rejection therefrom to the first cooling fluid alone provides inadequate cooling of the hot fluid stream in the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger being arranged to be in a series or parallel position with respect to the first heat exchanger, means to pass the hot fluid stream through the second heat exchanger, a hot reservoir for a secondary cooling liquid when hot, a cold reservoir for the secondary cooling liquid when cold, the capacities of the hot and cold reservoirs being adequate to hold the entire volume of secondary cooling liquid for the peak cooling conditions, a conduit from the cold reservoir to the second heat exchanger for supplying cold secondary cooling liquid in indirect heat exchange to the hot fluid stream passed through the second heat exchanger, a conduit for withdrawing hot secondary cooling liquid from the second heat exchanger and delivering it to the hot reservoir, a conduit communicating with the hot reservoir and a cooler for delivering hot secondary cooling liquid from the hot reservoir to the cooler to be cooled, and a conduit communicating with the cooler and the cold reservoir for delivering cold secondary cooling liquid from the cooler to the cold reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. Apparatus comprising:
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a steam condensor of a steam turbine containing a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger being sized to condense spent steam in the condensor by passage of a first cooling fluid through the heat exchanger up to an average predetermined temperature and flow of the first cooling fluid, with said heat exchanger having inadequate cooling capacity during peak cooling conditions, a second heat exchanger in the condensor for condensing steam when heat rejection therefrom to the first cooling fluid alone provides inadequate cooling in the first heat exchanger, a hot reservoir for a secondary cooling liquid when hot, a cold reservoir for the secondary cooling liquid when cold, the capacities of the hot and cold reservoirs being adequate to hold the entire volume of secondary cooling liquid for the peak cooling conditions, a conduit from the cold reservoir to the second heat exchanger for withdrawing cold secondary cooling liquid from the cold reservoir and supplying it to the second heat exchanger in indirect heat exchange in the steam condensor, a conduit for withdrawing hot secondary cooling liquid from the second heat exchanger and delivering it to the hot reservoir, a conduit communicating with the hot reservoir and a cooler for delivering hot secondary cooling liquid from the hot reservoir to the cooler to be cooled, and a conduit communicating with the cooler and the cold reservoir for delivering cold secondary cooling liquid from the cooler to the cold reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A method of cooling a hot fluid stream which comprises:
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contacting a hot fluid stream in indirect heat exchange with a base cooling fluid so long as the base cooling fluid accepts heat rejected from the hot fluid stream and adequately cools the same, supplementing the cooling of the hot fluid stream when the base cooling fluid provides inadequate cooling thereof, by contemporaneously also indirectly contacting the hot fluid stream with a secondary cooling liquid which is cold thereby heating the secondary cooling liquid, delivering the hot secondary cooling liquid to a hot reservoir for storage with said hot reservoir having a capacity adequate to hold the entire volume of secondary cooling liquid, removing the hot secondary cooling liquid from the hot reservoir, cooling it and delivering the cold secondary cooling liquid to a cold reservoir for storage with said cold reservoir having a capacity adequate to hold the entire volume of secondary cooling liquid, and withdrawing cold secondary cooling liquid from the cold reservoir and again delivering it into indirect heat exchange with the hot fluid stream when the base cooling fluid provides inadequate cooling. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification