Variable temperature chiller coils

Abstract

A chiller coil system for an asymmetric gas turbine filter house includes a plurality of chiller coil modules arranged in a substantially vertical array, each chiller coil module provided with a cooled fluid inlet pipe and a fluid outlet pipe. Each outlet pipe is connected to a common return pipe and at least some of the inlet pipes are connected to the common return pipe. A mixing control valve is provided for controlling an amount of cooling fluid in the common return pipe to be added to at least some of the inlet pipes.

1 . A chiller coil system for an asymmetric gas turbine filter house comprising:
 a plurality of chiller coil modules arranged in a substantially vertical array, each chiller coil module provided with a fluid inlet pipe connected to a common supply pipe and a fluid outlet pipe connected to common return pipe; wherein at least some of said inlet pipes are connected to said common return pipe; and   mixing control valves for controlling an amount of fluid in said common return pipe to be added to at least some of said fluid inlet pipes.   
     
     
         2 . The chiller coil system of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of chiller modules comprise two vertically-aligned, side-by-side groups of modules. 
     
     
         3 . The chiller coil system of  claim 2  wherein modules in each of said side-by-side groups of modules are divided into vertically adjacent pairs, and wherein one of said mixing control valves is provided for each vertically adjacent pair in each of said side-by-side groups 
     
     
         4 . The chiller coil system of  claim 2  wherein each of said side-by-side groups of modules comprise at least three sets of at least two modules each. 
     
     
         5 . The chiller coil system of  claim 1  wherein said mixing control valves are controlled by a chiller coil controller. 
     
     
         6 . The chiller coil system of  claim 5  wherein said chiller coil controller receives plural inputs including but not limited to inlet air temperature, inlet air velocity, cooled fluid water supply flow rate, cooled fluid water supply temperature, return fluid temperature, and downstream air temperature. 
     
     
         7 . The chiller coil system of  claim 5  wherein said chiller coil controller adjusts temperature and flow rate of cooling fluid entering said at least some of said inlet pipes to thereby enable air flowing across said plurality of chiller coil modules to have a substantially uniform downstream temperature. 
     
     
         8 . The chiller coil system of  claim 1  wherein said chiller coil system is mounted in a gas turbine filter house inlet upstream or downstream of inlet filter elements supported within the gas turbine filter house. 
     
     
         9 . The chiller coil system of  claim 5  wherein each of said side-by-side groups of modules comprise at least three sets of at least two modules each; and
 wherein said at least some of said inlet pipes comprise pipes supplying chilled water to middle and upper ones of said three-module sets. 
 
     
     
         10 . A chiller coil system for an asymmetric gas turbine filter house comprising:
 a plurality of chiller coil modules arranged in two, side-by-side, substantially vertical arrays, each chiller coil module provided with a cooled fluid inlet pipe and a warmed fluid outlet pipe, each warmed fluid outlet pipe connected to a common return pipe; wherein at least some of said cooled fluid inlet pipes are connected to said common return pipe, and wherein a mixing control valve controls an amount of warmed fluid in said common return pipe to be added to said at least some of said cooled fluid inlet pipes.   
     
     
         11 . The chiller coil system of  claim 10  wherein said two, side-by-side, substantially vertical arrays are controlled in substantially the same manner. 
     
     
         12 . The chiller coil system of  claim 11  wherein modules in each of said two side-by-side substantially vertical arrays of modules comprise at least three sets of at least two modules each. 
     
     
         13 . The chiller coil system of  claim 12  wherein said mixing control valve is controlled by a chiller coil controller that receives plural inputs including inlet air temperature, inlet air velocity, cooled fluid water supply flow rate and cooled fluid water supply temperature. 
     
     
         14 . The chiller coil system of  claim 13  wherein said plural inputs also include return fluid temperature, and downstream air temperature. 
     
     
         15 . The chiller coil system of  claim 13  wherein said chiller coil controller adjusts temperature and flow rate of cooling fluid entering said at least some of said inlet pipes to thereby enable air flowing across said plurality of chiller coil modules to have a substantially uniform downstream temperature. 
     
     
         16 . A method of controlling temperature of inlet air flowing across a chiller coil assembly of a gas turbine, wherein the chiller coil assembly comprises a plurality of substantially vertically aligned chiller modules and wherein inlet air flow velocity varies across the chiller modules as a function of vertical height of said chiller modules, the method comprising:
 (a) determining temperature differential of the inlet air downstream of each module; and   (b) differentially adjusting temperature of cooling fluid in said plurality of chiller modules to produce a substantially uniform temperature for the inlet air downstream of the chiller coil assembly.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said plurality of substantially vertically aligned chiller coil modules comprise a stack subdivided into at least three sets of chiller coil modules; and wherein step (b) includes differentially adjusting the temperature of the cooling fluid in two of said at least three sets. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said two of said at least three sets are stacked above a remaining one of said at least three sets. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein each of said three sets comprises a pair of said chiller modules. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said pair of said chiller modules in each of said at least three sets of modules are adjusted in substantially the same manner.