Evaporative cooling systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10260418-B2
Application number	US-201715463902-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2017
Priority date	Mar 20, 2017
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

The present application provides a method of evaluating media effectiveness in a gas turbine engine. The method may include the steps of receiving a baseline media effectiveness rating, receiving a media replacement cost, receiving a number of operating parameters from a number of sensors, based at least in part on the operating parameters and the baseline media effectiveness rating, determining a media effectiveness model, based at least in part of the media effectiveness model, determining a loss in evaporative benefit cost over time, determining a time t when the loss in evaporative benefit cost exceeds the media replacement cost, and scheduling media replacement at time t.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of evaluating media effectiveness in a gas turbine engine, comprising:
receiving a baseline media effectiveness rating;
receiving a media replacement cost;
receiving a plurality of operating parameters from a plurality of sensors;
based at least in part on the plurality of operating parameters and the baseline media effectiveness rating, determining a media effectiveness model;
based at least in part of the media effectiveness model, determining a loss in evaporative benefit cost over time;
determining a time t when the loss in evaporative benefit cost exceeds the media replacement cost; and
scheduling media replacement at time t.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving a plurality of operating parameters comprises receiving dry bulb temperatures and wet bulb temperatures.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving a plurality of operating parameters comprises receiving pump motor current.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving a plurality of operating parameters comprises receiving water conductivity.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving a plurality of operating parameters comprises receiving filter efficiency.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving a plurality of operating parameters comprises humidity.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining a media effectiveness model comprising accumulated operating time.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of replacing the media as time t.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of replacing the media at time t comprises replacing a synthetic media.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving a plurality of operating parameters comprising receiving some or all of the plurality of operating parameters about every five minutes of operating time.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operating parameters comprise filter efficiency.

12. A gas turbine system, comprising:
an inlet air system;
the inlet air system comprising a synthetic media pad;
a plurality of sensors capable of receiving operating parameters; and
a controller in communication with the plurality of sensors;
wherein the controller is operable to perform the following operations:
determine a media effectiveness model based in part on the operating parameters;
determine a loss in evaporative benefit cost over time based in part on the media effectiveness model;
determine a time t when the loss in evaporative benefit cost exceeds the media replacement cost; and
scheduling media replacement at time t.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the operating parameters comprise dry bulb temperatures, wet bulb temperatures, and humidity.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the operating parameters comprise pump motor current.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the operating parameters comprise water conductivity.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Zhang Hua
• Parmeshwar Naveen Ghattadhahalli
• Frese Christopher Conrad
• Ponyavin Valery Ivanovich
• Kippel Bradly Aaron

Classifications

• F05D2260/80

  Diagnostics · CPC title

• F28F27/00

  Control arrangements or safety devices specially adapted for heat-exchange or heat-transfer apparatus (control arrangements in general G05) · CPC title

• F02C7/057 Primary

  Control or regulation (conjointly with fuel supply control F02C9/50, with nozzle area control F02K1/16) · CPC title

• F05D2270/303

  Temperature · CPC title

• F05D2260/207

  using a phase changing mass, e.g. heat absorbing by melting or boiling · CPC title