Inlet air filter device for a power plant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9657694-B2
Application number	US-201314380105-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2013
Priority date	Feb 21, 2012
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

An inlet air filter device including: at least one passage for delivering an air mass from an inlet section to an outlet section of the inlet air filter device, a water separator in the at least one passage for separating water in the air mass, the water separator positioned between the inlet section and the outlet section, a bypass element movable between a first open position in which the air mass is forced to cross the water separator and a second closed position in which the air mass flows from the inlet to the outlet section without crossing the water separator; a shutter element which is actuatable to co-operate with the bypass element for isolating the water separator from the air mass when the bypass element is in the second closed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inlet air filter device, the device comprising:
at least one passage for delivering an air mass from an inlet section of the inlet air filter device to an outlet section of the inlet air filter device,
a water separator in the at least one passage for separating water in the air mass, the water separator positioned between the inlet section and the outlet section of the inlet air filter device, and comprising a first surface upstream of a flow path of the air mass and a second surface downstream of the flow path of the air mass,
a bypass element movable between a first open position in which the air mass is forced to cross the water separator and a second closed position in which the air mass flows from the inlet to the outlet section without crossing the water separator,
a shutter element fixed to the bypass element and actuatable for isolating the first surface from the air mass flowing in the passage when the bypass element is in the second closed position.

2. The inlet air filter device according to claim 1 , wherein the air mass flows from the first surface to the second surface of the water separator when crossing the water separator, and the passage is intercepted at the second surface when the bypass element is in the closed position.

3. The inlet air filter device according to claim 1 , wherein the air filter device includes a hinge around which the bypass element rotates for moving between the first and the second position.

4. The inlet air filter device according to claim 3 , wherein the passage is delimited by at least one inner surface, one of the first open position or second closed position of the bypass element is spaced from the inner surface of the passage, the other of the first open position or second closed position of the bypass element being is adjacent to the inner surface of the passage.

5. The inlet air filter device according to claim 1 , wherein the water separator is fixed with respect to the passage and the bypass element is movable with respect to the water separator.

6. The inlet air filter device according to claim 5 , wherein the water separator is spaced from an inner surface of the passage, the bypass element extending between the water separator and the inner surface of the passage when the bypass element is in the first open position, the bypass element being adjacent to the water separator when the bypass element is in the second closed position.

7. The inlet air filter device according to claim 1 , wherein the water separator is integral with the bypass element.

8. The inlet air filter device according to claim 7 , wherein the bypass element in the first open position is remote from an inner surface of the passage, and the bypass element is close to the inner surface of the passage when the bypass element is in the second closed position.

9. The inlet air filter device according to claim 1 , wherein the bypass element is wall shaped.

10. The inlet air filter device according to claim 1 , wherein the water separator comprises a droplet catcher and a coalescer, the water separator being oriented in the passage in such a way that the air mass crossing the water separator first passes through the droplet catcher and then through the coalescer.

11. The inlet air filter device according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet air filter device further comprises a flow device for delivering air from at least one source of air towards the water separator when the bypass element is in the second closed position and the shutter element is actuated to co-operate with the bypass element for isolating the water separator from the air mass flowing in the passage.

12. An inlet air filtering system for a power plant, the inlet air filtering system comprising:
an inlet air filter device comprising:
at least one passage for delivering an air mass from an inlet section of the inlet air filter device to an outlet section of the inlet air filter device,
a water separator in the at least one passage for separating water in the air mass, the water separator positioned between the inlet section and the outlet section of the inlet air filter device, and comprising a first surface upstream of a flow path of the air mass and a second surface downstream of the flow path of the air mass,
a bypass element movable between a first open position in which the air mass is forced to cross the water separator and a second closed position in which the air mass flows from the inlet to the outlet section without crossing the water separator,
a shutter element fixed to the bypass element and actuatable for isolating the first surface from the air mass flowing in the passage when the bypass element is in the second closed position.

13. A method for assembling an inlet air filter device, the method comprising:
providing a passage in the inlet air filter device in such a way that a flow path for an air mass is defined from an inlet section of the inlet air filter device to an outlet section of the inlet air filter device,
providing a water separator in the passage for separating humidity in the air mass, the water separator positioned between the inlet section and the outlet section of the inlet air filter device, and comprising a first surface upstream of a flow path of the air mass and a second surface downstream of the flow path of the air mass,
providing a bypass element movable from a first open position in which the air mass is forced to cross the water separator and a second closed position in which the air mass flows from the inlet to the outlet section without crossing the water separator,
providing a shutter element fixed to the bypass element and arranged in such a way to be actuatable for isolating the separator first surface from the air mass flowing in the passage when the bypass element is in the second closed position.

14. The inlet air filtering system of claim 12 , wherein the air mass flows from the first surface to the second surface of the water separator when crossing the water separator, and the passage is intercepted at the second surface when the bypass element is in the closed position.

15. The inlet air filtering system of claim 12 , wherein the air filter device includes a hinge around which the bypass element rotates for moving between the first and the second position.

16. The inlet air filtering system of claim 12 , wherein the water separator is fixed with respect to the passage and the bypass element is movable with respect to the water separator.

17. The inlet air filtering system of claim 12 , wherein the water separator is integral with the bypass element.

18. The inlet air filtering system of claim 12 , wherein the bypass element is wall shaped.

19. The inlet air filtering system of claim 12 , wherein the water separator comprises a droplet catcher and a coalescer, the water separator being oriented in the passage in such a way that the air mass crossing the water separator first passes through the droplet catcher and then through the coalescer.

20. The shutter element of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of blades actuated to close to isolate the first surface from the air mass.

Assignees

• Nuovo Pignone Sri
• Nuovo Pignone Srl

Inventors

• Santini Marco
• Malivernay Marc
• Marchetti Giorgio
• Pesenti Ludovic
• Claudon Philippe

Classifications

• B01D46/46

  automatic · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• B01D2275/10

  Multiple layers · CPC title

• F02M35/082

  By-pass means · CPC title

• B01D46/44

  controlling filtration · CPC title