Method and apparatus for cooling the inlet air of gas turbine and internal combustion engine prime movers

Claim 1

A method for optimizing the power output and performance of combustion prime movers such as gas turbines and internal combustion engines having air inlets taking in inlet air at the minimum acceptable inlet air temperature to prevent damage to the prime mover and its auxiliary components for admixture with fuel for combustion, and associated with a prime mover load application to increase power output and reduce fuel consumption, comprising: a. inputting into a computer processor a data base containing the prime mover's performance output, fuel consumption, heat rate, the load application power, output power, parasitic load consumption, and other related performance system information, b. computer generating optimal thermodynamic cooling efficiencies corresponding to a sectionalized, sequentially divided psychrometric turbine inlet air cooling path enthalpy curve of the average ambient air temperature prime mover performance and the optimum air inlet temperature for maximum prime mover performance, c. Structuring and providing a stage refrigerant cooling system having separate refrigerant cooling components mounted within and associated with the air inlet to provide incremental sequential staged cooling of the inlet air by circulating refrigerant to absorb heat from the inlet air and deliver the absorbed heat to a heat sink to increase the cycle efficiency of the refrigeration system by using cooled condensate to subcool the liquid refrigerant before expansion; d. Cascading from stage to stage cooled refrigerant from a first cooling stage as feed into a successive subsequent cooling stage to sequentially cool the inlet air to a desired temperature for optimum prime mover performance, e. Inputting into the computer processor current operating costs associated with fuel consumption, maintenance, and other related operating costs of the prime mover, and current revenues from energy generation by the prime mover load application, f. Generating the optimal net revenue performance curve for the prime mover and prime mover load application, and g. Powering and adjusting power means to drive the prime mover and multi-stage refrigerant cooling system in accordance with the optimal net revenue performance curve.

Claim 2

A method for optimizing the power output and performance of combustion prime movers such as gas turbines and internal combustion engines having air inlets taking in inlet air at the minimum acceptable inlet air temperature to prevent damage to the prime mover and its auxiliary components for admixture with fuel for combustion, and associated with a prime mover load application to increase power output and reduce fuel consumption, comprising: a. inputting into a computer processor a data base containing the prime mover's performance output, fuel consumption, heat rate, the load application power, output power, parasitic load consumption, and other related performance system information, b. computer generating optimal thermodynamic cooling efficiencies corresponding to a sectionalized, sequentially divided psychrometric turbine inlet air cooling path enthalpy curve of the average ambient air temperature prime mover performance and the optimum air inlet temperature for maximum prime mover performance, c. Structuring and providing a stage refrigerant cooling system having separate refrigerant cooling components mounted within and associated with the air inlet to provide incremental sequential staged cooling of the inlet air by circulating refrigerant to absorb heat from the inlet air and deliver the absorbed heat to a heat sink to increase the cycle efficiency of the refrigeration system by using cooled condensate to subcool the liquid refrigerant before expansion; d. Cascading from stage to stage cooled refrigerant from a first cooling stage as feed into a successive subsequent cooling stage to sequentially cool the inlet air to a desired temperature for optimum prime mover performance, e. Inputting into the computer processor current operating costs associated with fuel consumption, maintenance, and other related operating costs of the prime mover, and current revenues from energy generation by the prime mover load application, f. Generating the optimal net revenue performance curve for the prime mover and prime mover load application, and g. Powering and adjusting power means to drive the prime mover and multi-stage refrigerant cooling system in accordance with the optimal net revenue performance curve.

Claim 7

An apparatus for optimizing the energy power output and performance of combustion prime movers having air inlets taking in inlet air at the minimum acceptable inlet air temperature to prevent damage to the prime mover and its auxiliary components for admixing with fuel for combustion, and associated with a prime mover load application, comprising: a. a staged refrigerant cooling system including a first compressor and at least one successive compressor operably associated with a first cooling coil and at least one successive cooling coil mounted within and associated with the air inlet of the prime mover to sequentially cool the inlet air in multiple stages in accordance with a sectionalized, divided, psychrometric turbine inlet air cooling path enthalpy curve showing the average ambient air temperature prime mover performance and the optimum air inlet temperature for maximum prime mover performance by sequentially circulating within the coils cooled refrigerant to absorb heat from the inlet air in stages and deliver the absorbed heat to a heat sink to increase the cycle efficiency of the refrigeration system by using cooled condensate to subcool the liquid refrigerant before expansion; b. power means to drive the prime mover and multi-stage refrigerant cooling system compressor components, c. transfer and cascading means associated with the cooling system to transport cooled refrigerant from a first cooling stage of the refrigerant cooling system as liquid feed into each successive subsequent cooling stage of the refrigerant cooling system to successively cool the inlet air to the optimum prime mover performance inlet air temperature, d. a computer processor with a data base of current operating costs associated with fuel consumption, maintenance, and other related operating costs of the prime mover, and current revenues from energy generation by the prime mover load application, which generates the optimal net revenue performance curve for the prime mover and prime mover load application, and f. power controls to adjust the power means to drive the prime mover and staged refrigerant cooling system compressor components in accordance with the optimal net revenue performance curve.

Claim 8

An apparatus for optimizing the energy power output and performance of combustion prime movers having air inlets taking in inlet air at the minimum acceptable inlet air temperature to prevent damage to the prime mover and its auxiliary components for admixing with fuel for combustion, and associated with a prime mover load application, comprising: a. a staged refrigerant cooling system including a first compressor and at least one successive compressor operably associated with a first cooling coil and at least one successive cooling coil mounted within and associated with the air inlet of the prime mover to sequentially cool the inlet air in multiple stages in accordance with a sectionalized, divided, psychrometric turbine inlet air cooling path enthalpy curve showing the average ambient air temperature prime mover performance and the optimum air inlet temperature for maximum prime mover performance by sequentially circulating within the coils cooled refrigerant to absorb heat from the inlet air in stages and deliver the absorbed heat to a heat sink to increase the cycle efficiency of the refrigeration system by using cooled condensate to subcool the liquid refrigerant before expansion; b. power means to drive the prime mover and multi-stage refrigerant cooling system compressor components, c. transfer and cascading means associated with the cooling system to transport cooled refrigerant from a first cooling stage of the refrigerant cooling system as liquid feed into each successive subsequent cooling stage of the refrigerant cooling system to successively cool the inlet air to the optimum prime mover performance inlet air temperature, d. a computer processor with a data base of current operating costs associated with fuel consumption, maintenance, and other related operating costs of the prime mover, and current revenues from energy generation by the prime mover load application, which generates the optimal net revenue performance curve for the prime mover and prime mover load application, and f. power controls to adjust the power means to drive the prime mover and staged refrigerant cooling system compressor components in accordance with the optimal net revenue performance curve.