Heat Rejection Apparatus, Plume Abatement System, and Method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024255226-A1
Application number	US-202418629557-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 8, 2024
Priority date	Nov 23, 2020
Publication date	Aug 1, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one aspect, a heat rejection apparatus is provided including an evaporative heat exchanger and a primary fan operable to direct first ambient air into an air inlet, cause the first ambient air to interact with the evaporative heat exchanger to produce heated air, and discharge the heated air from an air outlet. The heat rejection apparatus includes a plume abatement fan operable to direct second ambient air into contact with the heated air downstream of the evaporative heat exchanger and a controller operably coupled to the primary fan and the plume abatement fan. The controller has a plume abatement mode wherein the controller operates the plume abatement fan to cause the plume abatement fan to direct the second ambient air into contact with the heated air to cool the heated air and abate plume.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A heat rejection apparatus comprising:
an air inlet; an air outlet; an evaporative heat exchanger; a primary fan operable to direct first ambient air into the air inlet, cause the first ambient air to interact with the evaporative heat exchanger to produce heated air, and discharge the heated air from the air outlet; a base; an adjustable damper of the base, the adjustable damper having:
an open configuration wherein the adjustable damper permits second ambient air from beneath the heat rejection apparatus to enter the heat rejection apparatus and contact the heated air upstream of the air outlet; and
a closed configuration wherein the adjustable damper permits less of the second ambient air to enter the heat rejection apparatus from below the heat rejection apparatus than in the open configuration;
a controller operatively connected to the primary fan and the adjustable damper, the controller configured to shift the adjustable damper from the closed configuration to the open configuration to abate plume.

2 . The heat rejection apparatus of claim 1 wherein the adjustable damper in the open configuration thereof permits the second ambient air to flow upwardly into the heat rejection apparatus from beneath the heat rejection apparatus.

3 . The heat rejection apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plenum downstream of the evaporative heat exchanger and upstream of the air outlet; and
wherein the adjustable damper in the open configuration permits the second ambient air to flow into the plenum from beneath the heat rejection apparatus.

4 . The heat rejection apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plume abatement fan operatively connected to the controller; and
wherein the controller is configured to operate the plume abatement fan to direct third ambient air into contact with the heated air to abate plume.

5 . The heat rejection apparatus of claim 4 wherein the primary fan is downstream of the evaporative heat exchanger; and
wherein the plume abatement fan is operable to direct the third ambient air into contact with the heated air downstream of the primary fan.

6 . The heat rejection apparatus of claim 1 wherein the evaporative heat exchanger includes heat transfer elements, a liquid distribution system configured to distribute a liquid onto the heat transfer elements, and a basin to collect the liquid; and
wherein the adjustable damper is horizontally offset from the heat transfer elements.

7 . The heat rejection apparatus of claim 1 wherein the evaporative heat exchanger includes heat transfer elements and a liquid distribution system configured to distribute a liquid onto the heat transfer elements; and
wherein the base is configured to isolate the adjustable damper from the liquid distributed onto the heat transfer elements.

8 . The heat rejection apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base includes a basin to collect liquid from the evaporative heat exchanger; and
wherein the base is configured to direct liquid collected in the basin about the adjustable damper.

9 . The heat rejection apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base includes a floor; and
wherein the floor includes the adjustable damper.

10 . The heat rejection apparatus of claim 1 wherein the evaporative heat exchanger includes heat transfer elements and a liquid distribution system configured to distribute a liquid onto the heat transfer elements;
wherein the base includes a basin for collecting the liquid of the evaporative heat exchanger, the basin including an upper basin portion below the heat transfer elements and a lower basin portion with a liquid outlet, the lower basin portion configured to receive the liquid from the upper basin portion; and
wherein the upper basin portion includes the adjustable damper.

11 . The heat rejection apparatus of claim 10 wherein the base includes a divider wall to direct the liquid about the adjustable damper as the liquid travels from the upper basin portion to the lower basin portion.

12 . The heat rejection apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller has a cooling mode wherein the controller causes the adjustable damper to be in the closed configuration.

13 . The heat rejection apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a sensor to detect an air variable of at least one of the first ambient air, the second ambient air, and the heated air;
wherein the controller is configured to determine a plume formation condition based at least in part upon the air variable; and
wherein the controller is configured to shift the adjustable damper from the closed configuration to the open configuration based at least in part upon determining the plume formation condition.

14 . The heat rejection apparatus of claim 13 wherein the controller is configured to:
receive a setpoint temperature for a process fluid discharged from the heat rejection apparatus;
determine a cooling demand for the heat rejection apparatus based at least in part upon the setpoint temperature;
determine whether the heat rejection apparatus is able to satisfy the cooling demand while performing plume abatement; and
cause the adjustable damper to be in the open configuration based at least in part upon determining the plume formation condition and determining the heat rejection apparatus is able to satisfy the cooling demand while performing plume abatement.

15 . The heat rejection apparatus of claim 13 wherein the controller is configured to:
receive a setpoint temperature for a process fluid discharged from the heat rejection apparatus;
determine a cooling demand for the heat rejection apparatus based at least in part upon the setpoint temperature;
determine whether the heat rejection apparatus is able to satisfy the cooling demand while performing plume abatement; and
cause the adjustable damper to be in the closed configuration based at least in part upon determining the plume formation condition and determining the heat rejection apparatus is unable to satisfy the cooling demand while performing plume abatement.

16 . The heat rejection apparatus of claim 1 wherein the heat rejection apparatus comprises an outer structure that includes the air inlet, air outlet, and base; and
wherein evaporative heat exchanger is in the outer structure.

17 . The heat rejection apparatus of claim 1 wherein the adjustable damper includes a motor, the motor operable to reconfigure the adjustable damper between the open configuration and the closed configuration in response to a signal from the controller.

18 . The heat rejection apparatus of claim 1 wherein the evaporative heat exchanger comprises a first evaporative heat exchanger and a second evaporative heat exchanger;
wherein the adjustable damper includes a first adjustable damper and a second adjustable damper;
wherein the first adjustable damper in the open configuration thereof directs a first portion of the second ambient air into contact with the heated air exiting the first evaporative heat exchanger; and
wherein the second adjustable damper in the open configuration thereof directs a second portion of the second ambient air into contact with the heated air exiting the second evaporative heat exchanger.

19 . A method of operating a heat rejection apparatus, the method comprising:
operating a primary fan to direct first ambient air into an air inlet of the heat rejection apparatus, causing the first ambient air to interact with an evaporative heat exchanger and produce heated air, and discharging the heated air from

Assignees

• Baltimore Aircoil Co Inc

Inventors

• Blay Preston
• Shin Yoon K
• Aaron David Andrew

Classifications

• F28F27/003

  specially adapted for cooling towers · CPC title

• F28C2001/006

  Systems comprising cooling towers, e.g. for recooling a cooling medium · CPC title

• Y02B30/70

  Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating · CPC title

• F28C1/14 Primary

  comprising also a non-direct contact heat exchange · CPC title

• F28C1/16 Primary

  Arrangements for preventing condensation, precipitation or mist formation, outside the cooler (F28C1/14 takes precedence) · CPC title