US20120031600A1 - Turbine intercooler - Google Patents
Turbine intercooler Download PDFInfo
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- US20120031600A1 US20120031600A1 US12/849,113 US84911310A US2012031600A1 US 20120031600 A1 US20120031600 A1 US 20120031600A1 US 84911310 A US84911310 A US 84911310A US 2012031600 A1 US2012031600 A1 US 2012031600A1
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- Prior art keywords
- intercooler
- end sections
- conducting members
- shell
- pressure compressor
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F02C7/00—Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants
- F02C7/12—Cooling of plants
- F02C7/14—Cooling of plants of fluids in the plant, e.g. lubricant or fuel
- F02C7/141—Cooling of plants of fluids in the plant, e.g. lubricant or fuel of working fluid
- F02C7/143—Cooling of plants of fluids in the plant, e.g. lubricant or fuel of working fluid before or between the compressor stages
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates generally to intercoolers and, more particularly, intercoolers with a set of conducting members disposed in a flow path of compressed gaseous fluid.
- Intercoolers in turbines are provided to cool air that is compressed in the low pressure compressor before it is channeled to the high pressure compressor.
- intercoolers experience degradation in internal areas that are difficult to access for maintenance or replacement.
- intercoolers with an alternative structure that is easier to maintain or fix, and is more efficient, would be desirable.
- the present invention provides an intercooler including a shell with an inlet and an outlet.
- the shell defines a first chamber.
- the intercooler further includes a plurality of elongate conducting members.
- Each of the conducting members includes a first end section and a second end section and is disposed such that each of the first end sections is inside the first chamber of the shell and such that each of the second end sections is disposed exteriorly of the shell.
- Each of the second end sections is disposed in a flow path of at least one cooling medium so as to undergo evaporative cooling.
- the present invention provides an intercooler including a shell defining a first chamber and a plurality of elongate conducting members.
- Each of the conducting members includes a first end section and a second end section and is disposed such that each of the first end sections is inside the first chamber of the shell and such that each of the second end sections converges toward one another.
- Each of the second end sections is disposed in a flow path of at least one cooling medium so as to undergo evaporative cooling.
- the present invention provides a method of cooling compressed gaseous fluid including the steps of disposing each of first end sections of a plurality of elongate conducting members in a flow path of compressed gaseous fluid such that heat from the compressed gaseous fluid is transferred toward second end sections of the conducting members by way of conduction, disposing each of second end sections of the conducting members in a flow path of at least one cooling medium, and generating a flow of the at least one cooling medium moving toward the second end sections such that heat from the second end sections is transferred to the cooling medium.
- FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a part of a turbo machine
- FIG. 2 shows a first example embodiment of an intercooler
- FIG. 3 shows a variation of the first example embodiment of the intercooler
- FIG. 4 shows a second example embodiment of the intercooler
- FIG. 5 shows a first example of fins formed on conducting members
- FIG. 6 shows a second example of fins formed on the conducting members
- FIG. 7 shows an example of an arrangement pattern of the conducting members.
- FIG. 8 shows an example of an alternative embodiment of the conducting members.
- FIG. 1 a schematic of a turbo machine, such as a gas turbine engine, is illustrated partially and shows an intercooler 10 , a low-pressure compressor 12 (LPC), and a high-pressure compressor 14 (HPC). Fluid 11 that is compressed at the LPC 12 is channeled to the intercooler 10 where the temperature of the compressed gaseous fluid 11 is lowered prior to being channeled downstream to the HPC 14 .
- LPC low-pressure compressor 12
- HPC 14 high-pressure compressor
- FIGS. 2 and 3 show variations of a first example embodiment of the intercooler 10 in a schematic fashion.
- the intercooler 10 includes a shell 16 and a cooler 18 .
- the shell 16 includes an inlet 16 a in fluid communication with the LPC 12 and an outlet 16 b in fluid communication with the HPC 14 .
- the shell 16 forms a first chamber 20 in fluid communication with the LPC 12 and the HPC 14 such that compressed gaseous fluid 11 is channeled through the first chamber 20 .
- the cooler 18 may include a casing 22 forming a peripheral wall defining a second chamber 24 in which various features for providing cooling are located as will be described below.
- the shell 16 and the cooler 18 are connected by a plurality of elongate conducting members 26 each of which include a first end section 26 a and a second end section 26 b .
- the conducting members 26 may be cylindrical, pipe-like structures and are sufficiently elongate to connect the shell 16 and the cooler 18 such that the first end section 26 a is disposed in the first chamber 20 of the shell 16 and a second end section 26 b is disposed in the second chamber 24 of the cooler 18 .
- the elongate conducting members 26 may be formed of metals that are sufficiently conductive so that the first end section 26 a can draw heat from gas in the shell 16 and transmit such heat to the second end section 26 b that can be cooled inside the cooler 18 .
- the conducting members 26 may be made of copper, stainless steel, carbon steel, or other metals or alloys.
- the conducting members 26 may be superconductive and examples of such superconducting members may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,132,823, 6,811,720, 6,911,231, and 6,916,430.
- the arrangement of the conducting members 26 inside the first chamber 20 is such that highly efficient heat transfer can occur longitudinally about the conducting members 26 and such that pressure drop in the first chamber 20 is small thereby improving turbine efficiency.
- the second end sections 26 b may be disposed in a path of a cooling medium to accomplish cooling.
- the second chamber 24 of the cooler 18 may include a discharger 28 which releases as one cooling medium a cooling liquid 35 (e.g., water) toward the second end sections 26 b although the released cooling liquid 35 may or may not contact the second end sections after discharge.
- the discharger 28 may be embodied as a spray that releases a cooling liquid 35 from an elevated area within the cooler 18 as shown in FIGS. 2-3 .
- the second end sections 26 b may be embedded inside a wick element 30 which is disposed underneath the discharger 28 so as to absorb and retain some of the cooling liquid 35 by capillary action.
- the wick element 30 may be formed of various materials that are durable, non-dissolving material capable of wicking action via surface tension, retaining water, and capable of allowing evaporation of water retained in the wick when exposed to flowing gas.
- the wick element 30 may be embodied as a sponge or a bundle of woven fibers or plastics that is capable of retaining the cooling fluid by capillary action and that is sufficiently dimensioned such that a bulk of the second end sections 26 b can be embedded therein.
- the cooling liquid 35 retained by the wick element 30 is kept in proximity with the second end sections 26 b for a longer period of time rather than simply passing by the conducting members 26 such that the time during which heat transfer can occur is prolonged.
- the cooler 18 may include a blower 32 , such as an axial fan, a centrifugal fan, or an air suction device, that generates a movement of air 33 across the conducting members 26 or the wick element 30 thereby placing the conducting members 26 in a flow path of another cooling medium.
- a blower 32 such as an axial fan, a centrifugal fan, or an air suction device, that generates a movement of air 33 across the conducting members 26 or the wick element 30 thereby placing the conducting members 26 in a flow path of another cooling medium.
- movement of air 33 is in an upward direction within the cooler 18 although the flow path of the air 33 may vary.
- the casing 22 of the cooler 18 is configured with openings 34 formed by louvers near the base to allow ambient air to refill the gap left by the air that has moved out of the second chamber 24 of the cooler 18 .
- the openings 34 may include a filter to guard against contaminants in ambient air from entering the cooler 18 .
- the blower 32 may be located at a top of the cooler
- a container 38 may be disposed at a base of the cooler 18 to recover cooling liquid 35 that falls from the discharger 28 and is not retained by the wick element 30 .
- the recovered cooling liquid 35 may be rerouted to the discharger 28 via a recirculation system 40 , which may include a pump 45 , to be thereafter released again from the discharger 28 .
- the recirculation system 40 may include a control system 42 for controlling the circulation of cooling fluid 35 back to the discharger 28 or adapting the supply of cooling fluid 35 depending on atmospheric conditions.
- the control system 42 may adjust the recirculation system 40 in response to operating conditions, such as modifying the degree of cooling or the volume flow of the re-circulated cooling liquid 35 depending on a number of conditions such as ambient temperature of the environment in which the intercooler 10 is located.
- the cooling liquid 35 which has absorbed heat from the conducting members 26 while falling from the discharger 28 may be cooled by counter flow of air 33 generated by the blower 32 .
- the blower 32 can generate evaporation of the cooling liquid 35 (e.g., water) captured in the wick element 30 such that the conducting members 26 are cooled by the latent heat property of the cooling liquid 35 .
- the recirculation system 40 may include a filter to guard against contaminants in the cooling liquid 35 from moving through the recirculation system 40 . Without the recirculation system 40 , the discharger 28 may simply be connected to a source of the cooling liquid 35 and the container 38 may simply lead to a drainage system.
- Some of the second end sections 26 b or some parts of the second end sections 26 b may be disposed outside the wick element 30 and may experience only forced convective cooling through air flow generated by the blower 32 but not evaporative cooling.
- the casing 22 of the cooler 18 may be embodied in a variety of shapes and arrangements.
- the casing 22 may be oriented upright and be shaped like a box, a cylinder, frustocone, etc. If the cooler 18 is a substantially upright and cylindrical structure, the cooler 18 may be described as a tower cooler 18 a .
- the shell 16 may also be embodied in a variety of shapes and arrangements.
- the shell 16 may be oriented in a substantially upright ( FIG. 2 ) or horizontal ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ) manner and may be shaped like a box, a cylinder ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ), a ring ( FIG. 4 ), etc.
- the arrangement of the shell 16 relative to the cooler 18 may affect the number of conducting members 26 that connect the two. Specifically, if the conducting members 26 are straight, the conducting members 26 may only be disposed in a limited area where parts of the shell 16 and the cooler 18 are immediately and laterally adjacent. However, it may be possible to modify the shape of the conducting members 26 and provide conducting members 26 connecting the shell 16 and the cooler 18 even if an area where parts of the shell 16 and the cooler 18 are immediately and laterally adjacent is small.
- the shell 16 is arranged to surround or substantially encircle the tower cooler 18 a with the inlet and the outlet disposed in one radial direction about the tower cooler 18 a .
- the conducting members 26 that extend from the first chamber 20 of the shell 16 to the interior of the cooler are disposed in a plurality of radial directions with respect to the tower cooler 18 a such that the first end sections 26 a are in the flow path of the compressed gaseous fluid 11 and the second end sections 26 b are in the path of at least one cooling medium.
- the tower cooler of FIG. 4 may include the blower, the filter, the wick element, the container, the recirculation system, the heat exchanger or other features similarly as shown in FIGS. 2-3 .
- FIGS. 5 and 6 show example embodiments of the conducting members 26 .
- a cross-section of the conducting members 26 may be circular such that a fluid passing by the conducting members 26 can undergo a more streamlined flow and be evenly distributed in the spaces between the conducting members 26 .
- the first end sections 26 a or the second end sections 26 b may be configured with fins 44 , as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , which may be provided at regular intervals along a longitudinal axis of the conducting members 26 .
- the fins 44 may be provided longitudinally throughout the conducting members 26 or may be provided within a longitudinal portion of the conducting members 26 .
- the fins 44 may be provided only on the first end sections 26 a .
- the fins 44 are provided to increase surface areas on which heat exchange can occur between the conducting members 26 and the cooling medium as the air 33 moves in between the fins 44 .
- the longitudinal spacing between the fins 44 is not drawn to scale and the fins 44 may be located closer to or apart from one another than the embodiments shown in FIG. 5 or 6 in order to alter a heat transfer coefficient at the end sections 26 a , 26 b of the conducting members 26 .
- the fins 44 may be located so close to one another as to provide a gap that is smaller than the thickness of the fins 44 . As shown in the embodiments of FIGS.
- the fins 44 may be embodied as circular flanges 44 a , rectangular flanges 44 b or other polygonal or irregular shapes but may also be embodied in a variety of geometries affecting heat transfer efficiency.
- the rectangular flanges 44 b may be slightly bent at the corners toward the two longitudinal ends of the conducting members 26 and the directions in which the corners are bent may alternate as shown in FIG. 6 .
- FIG. 7 partially shows a flow path of the compressed gaseous fluid 11 through an arrangement of the conducting members 26 in which the first end sections 26 a are configured with fins 44 a .
- the pattern may be divided into a plurality of subsets 46 of conducting members 26 that are parallel and vertically aligned. In the pattern of FIG.
- each subset 46 includes conducting members 26 that are parallel and vertically aligned
- two neighboring subsets 46 are misaligned or staggered horizontally about one another such that the flow path of the cooling medium encounters a greater number of conducting members 26 , compared to a pattern in which neighboring subsets 46 are also horizontally aligned, thereby generating increased heat exchange between the compressed gaseous fluid 11 and the first end sections 26 a .
- Such horizontal misalignment between neighboring subsets 46 can also be implemented to the embodiment of FIG. 4 even if all of the conducting members 26 are not parallel to one another due to the radial arrangement of the subsets 46 .
- the subsets 46 would include parallel and vertically aligned conducting members 26 but neighboring subsets 46 would be horizontally misaligned.
- the intercooler 10 described herein provides an apparatus for removing heat from compressed gaseous fluid 11 traveling from the LPC to the HPC.
- the first end sections 26 a of the conducting members 26 take away heat from the compressed gaseous fluid 11 and transmit the heat to the second end sections 26 b .
- the first end sections 26 a may be configured with fins 44 to enhance heat exchange between the compressed gaseous fluid 11 and the first end sections 26 a .
- the second end sections 26 b can be disposed in a flow path of one or more cooling medium (e.g., cooling liquid 35 and/or air 33 ) to enhance heat loss from the second end sections 26 b to the atmosphere.
- cooling medium e.g., cooling liquid 35 and/or air 33
- the cooling liquid 35 can be cooled by convective cooling (i.e., the upward movement of air 33 generated by the blower 32 in counter flow with downwardly falling cooling liquid 35 ) or the evaporative cooling (i.e., gasification of the cooling liquid 35 taking away heat from neighboring cooling liquid 35 in the wick element 30 ).
- convective cooling i.e., the upward movement of air 33 generated by the blower 32 in counter flow with downwardly falling cooling liquid 35
- the evaporative cooling i.e., gasification of the cooling liquid 35 taking away heat from neighboring cooling liquid 35 in the wick element 30 .
- the cooling liquid 35 can be recovered after being released toward the second end sections 26 b and re-circulated for cooling prior to being released again toward the second end sections 26 b.
- the donut-shaped shell 16 substantially encircling the tower cooler 18 a allows the compressed gaseous fluid 11 to move smoothly therethrough without facing obstructions such that the compressed gaseous fluid 11 experiences a low pressure drop and the overall efficiency of the gas turbine is improved.
- Other shell shapes, e.g. U-shape, providing smooth curving path for the air flow yield similar benefit of low pressure drop.
- FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of the conducting members 26 .
- FIG. 8 only shows one of the first end section 26 a or the second end section 26 b of the conducting members 26 but the same configuration can be implemented on the other end section.
- each end of the plurality of the conducting members 26 includes submembers 50 which are finned similarly to FIGS. 5-6 .
- the submembers 50 transition to a header 52 which includes transition sections 54 at each end and a bundled section therebetween 56 .
- the transition sections 54 and the submembers 50 are located inside the shell 16 or the casing 22 while the bundled section 56 extends through the shell 16 or the casing 22 thus reducing the number of holes formed on the shell 16 or the casing 22 to one.
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Abstract
An intercooler includes a shell with an inlet and an outlet. The shell defines a first chamber. The intercooler further includes a plurality of elongate conducting members. Each of the conducting members includes a first end section and a second end section and is disposed such that each of the first end sections is inside the first chamber of the shell and such that each of the second end sections is disposed exteriorly of the shell. Each of the second end sections is disposed in a flow path of at least one cooling medium so as to undergo evaporative cooling.
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present disclosure relates generally to intercoolers and, more particularly, intercoolers with a set of conducting members disposed in a flow path of compressed gaseous fluid.
- 2. Discussion of the Prior Art
- Intercoolers in turbines are provided to cool air that is compressed in the low pressure compressor before it is channeled to the high pressure compressor. In their conventional structures, intercoolers experience degradation in internal areas that are difficult to access for maintenance or replacement. Thus, intercoolers with an alternative structure that is easier to maintain or fix, and is more efficient, would be desirable.
- The following summary presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the systems and/or methods discussed herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of the systems and/or methods discussed herein. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope of such systems and/or methods. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
- In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides an intercooler including a shell with an inlet and an outlet. The shell defines a first chamber. The intercooler further includes a plurality of elongate conducting members. Each of the conducting members includes a first end section and a second end section and is disposed such that each of the first end sections is inside the first chamber of the shell and such that each of the second end sections is disposed exteriorly of the shell. Each of the second end sections is disposed in a flow path of at least one cooling medium so as to undergo evaporative cooling.
- In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides an intercooler including a shell defining a first chamber and a plurality of elongate conducting members. Each of the conducting members includes a first end section and a second end section and is disposed such that each of the first end sections is inside the first chamber of the shell and such that each of the second end sections converges toward one another. Each of the second end sections is disposed in a flow path of at least one cooling medium so as to undergo evaporative cooling.
- In accordance with yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method of cooling compressed gaseous fluid including the steps of disposing each of first end sections of a plurality of elongate conducting members in a flow path of compressed gaseous fluid such that heat from the compressed gaseous fluid is transferred toward second end sections of the conducting members by way of conduction, disposing each of second end sections of the conducting members in a flow path of at least one cooling medium, and generating a flow of the at least one cooling medium moving toward the second end sections such that heat from the second end sections is transferred to the cooling medium.
- The foregoing and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a part of a turbo machine; -
FIG. 2 shows a first example embodiment of an intercooler; -
FIG. 3 shows a variation of the first example embodiment of the intercooler; -
FIG. 4 shows a second example embodiment of the intercooler; -
FIG. 5 shows a first example of fins formed on conducting members; -
FIG. 6 shows a second example of fins formed on the conducting members; and -
FIG. 7 shows an example of an arrangement pattern of the conducting members. -
FIG. 8 shows an example of an alternative embodiment of the conducting members. - Examples of embodiments that incorporate one or more aspects of the present invention are described and illustrated in the drawings. These illustrated examples are not intended to be a limitation on the present invention. For example, one or more aspects of the present invention can be utilized in other embodiments and even other types of devices.
- Turning to the shown example of
FIG. 1 , a schematic of a turbo machine, such as a gas turbine engine, is illustrated partially and shows anintercooler 10, a low-pressure compressor 12 (LPC), and a high-pressure compressor 14 (HPC).Fluid 11 that is compressed at theLPC 12 is channeled to theintercooler 10 where the temperature of the compressedgaseous fluid 11 is lowered prior to being channeled downstream to theHPC 14. -
FIGS. 2 and 3 show variations of a first example embodiment of theintercooler 10 in a schematic fashion. Theintercooler 10 includes ashell 16 and acooler 18. Theshell 16 includes aninlet 16 a in fluid communication with theLPC 12 and anoutlet 16 b in fluid communication with theHPC 14. Theshell 16 forms afirst chamber 20 in fluid communication with theLPC 12 and theHPC 14 such that compressedgaseous fluid 11 is channeled through thefirst chamber 20. Thecooler 18 may include acasing 22 forming a peripheral wall defining asecond chamber 24 in which various features for providing cooling are located as will be described below. - As shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3 , theshell 16 and thecooler 18 are connected by a plurality of elongate conductingmembers 26 each of which include afirst end section 26 a and asecond end section 26 b. The conductingmembers 26 may be cylindrical, pipe-like structures and are sufficiently elongate to connect theshell 16 and thecooler 18 such that thefirst end section 26 a is disposed in thefirst chamber 20 of theshell 16 and asecond end section 26 b is disposed in thesecond chamber 24 of thecooler 18. The elongate conductingmembers 26 may be formed of metals that are sufficiently conductive so that thefirst end section 26 a can draw heat from gas in theshell 16 and transmit such heat to thesecond end section 26 b that can be cooled inside thecooler 18. For example, the conductingmembers 26 may be made of copper, stainless steel, carbon steel, or other metals or alloys. In yet another example, the conductingmembers 26 may be superconductive and examples of such superconducting members may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,132,823, 6,811,720, 6,911,231, and 6,916,430. - The arrangement of the conducting
members 26 inside thefirst chamber 20 is such that highly efficient heat transfer can occur longitudinally about the conductingmembers 26 and such that pressure drop in thefirst chamber 20 is small thereby improving turbine efficiency. - In the embodiments of
FIGS. 2 and 3 , thesecond end sections 26 b may be disposed in a path of a cooling medium to accomplish cooling. As such, thesecond chamber 24 of thecooler 18 may include adischarger 28 which releases as one cooling medium a cooling liquid 35 (e.g., water) toward thesecond end sections 26 b although the releasedcooling liquid 35 may or may not contact the second end sections after discharge. In one example, thedischarger 28 may be embodied as a spray that releases acooling liquid 35 from an elevated area within thecooler 18 as shown inFIGS. 2-3 . Additionally, thesecond end sections 26 b may be embedded inside awick element 30 which is disposed underneath thedischarger 28 so as to absorb and retain some of thecooling liquid 35 by capillary action. Thewick element 30 may be formed of various materials that are durable, non-dissolving material capable of wicking action via surface tension, retaining water, and capable of allowing evaporation of water retained in the wick when exposed to flowing gas. For example, thewick element 30 may be embodied as a sponge or a bundle of woven fibers or plastics that is capable of retaining the cooling fluid by capillary action and that is sufficiently dimensioned such that a bulk of thesecond end sections 26 b can be embedded therein. Thecooling liquid 35 retained by thewick element 30 is kept in proximity with thesecond end sections 26 b for a longer period of time rather than simply passing by the conductingmembers 26 such that the time during which heat transfer can occur is prolonged. - Additionally, the
cooler 18 may include ablower 32, such as an axial fan, a centrifugal fan, or an air suction device, that generates a movement ofair 33 across the conductingmembers 26 or thewick element 30 thereby placing the conductingmembers 26 in a flow path of another cooling medium. In the embodiment shown inFIGS. 2-3 , movement ofair 33 is in an upward direction within thecooler 18 although the flow path of theair 33 may vary. In these embodiments, thecasing 22 of thecooler 18 is configured withopenings 34 formed by louvers near the base to allow ambient air to refill the gap left by the air that has moved out of thesecond chamber 24 of thecooler 18. Theopenings 34 may include a filter to guard against contaminants in ambient air from entering thecooler 18. Theblower 32 may be located at a top of thecooler 18 which may also include avent 36 which may be covered by a grille or filter near theblower 32. - Moreover, a
container 38 may be disposed at a base of thecooler 18 to recover coolingliquid 35 that falls from thedischarger 28 and is not retained by thewick element 30. Furthermore, the recoveredcooling liquid 35 may be rerouted to thedischarger 28 via arecirculation system 40, which may include apump 45, to be thereafter released again from thedischarger 28. Therecirculation system 40 may include acontrol system 42 for controlling the circulation of coolingfluid 35 back to thedischarger 28 or adapting the supply of coolingfluid 35 depending on atmospheric conditions. Thecontrol system 42 may adjust therecirculation system 40 in response to operating conditions, such as modifying the degree of cooling or the volume flow of there-circulated cooling liquid 35 depending on a number of conditions such as ambient temperature of the environment in which theintercooler 10 is located. The coolingliquid 35 which has absorbed heat from the conductingmembers 26 while falling from thedischarger 28 may be cooled by counter flow ofair 33 generated by theblower 32. Moreover, theblower 32 can generate evaporation of the cooling liquid 35 (e.g., water) captured in thewick element 30 such that the conductingmembers 26 are cooled by the latent heat property of the coolingliquid 35. Therecirculation system 40 may include a filter to guard against contaminants in the cooling liquid 35 from moving through therecirculation system 40. Without therecirculation system 40, thedischarger 28 may simply be connected to a source of the coolingliquid 35 and thecontainer 38 may simply lead to a drainage system. - Some of the
second end sections 26 b or some parts of thesecond end sections 26 b may be disposed outside thewick element 30 and may experience only forced convective cooling through air flow generated by theblower 32 but not evaporative cooling. - The
casing 22 of the cooler 18 may be embodied in a variety of shapes and arrangements. For example, thecasing 22 may be oriented upright and be shaped like a box, a cylinder, frustocone, etc. If the cooler 18 is a substantially upright and cylindrical structure, the cooler 18 may be described as atower cooler 18 a. Theshell 16 may also be embodied in a variety of shapes and arrangements. For example, theshell 16 may be oriented in a substantially upright (FIG. 2 ) or horizontal (FIGS. 3 and 4 ) manner and may be shaped like a box, a cylinder (FIGS. 2 and 3 ), a ring (FIG. 4 ), etc. It may be possible to reduce an area occupied by a footing of theintercooler 10 with a vertical arrangement of theshell 16 and the cooler 18 as shown inFIG. 2 . Moreover, the arrangement of theshell 16 relative to the cooler 18 may affect the number of conductingmembers 26 that connect the two. Specifically, if the conductingmembers 26 are straight, the conductingmembers 26 may only be disposed in a limited area where parts of theshell 16 and the cooler 18 are immediately and laterally adjacent. However, it may be possible to modify the shape of the conductingmembers 26 and provide conductingmembers 26 connecting theshell 16 and the cooler 18 even if an area where parts of theshell 16 and the cooler 18 are immediately and laterally adjacent is small. - In an alternative embodiment of
FIG. 4 , theshell 16 is arranged to surround or substantially encircle thetower cooler 18 a with the inlet and the outlet disposed in one radial direction about thetower cooler 18 a. The conductingmembers 26 that extend from thefirst chamber 20 of theshell 16 to the interior of the cooler are disposed in a plurality of radial directions with respect to thetower cooler 18 a such that thefirst end sections 26 a are in the flow path of the compressedgaseous fluid 11 and thesecond end sections 26 b are in the path of at least one cooling medium. Several features shown in the cooler ofFIGS. 2-3 are omitted fromFIG. 4 in order to illustrate the arrangement of the conductingmembers 26. Thus, the tower cooler ofFIG. 4 may include the blower, the filter, the wick element, the container, the recirculation system, the heat exchanger or other features similarly as shown inFIGS. 2-3 . -
FIGS. 5 and 6 show example embodiments of the conductingmembers 26. A cross-section of the conductingmembers 26 may be circular such that a fluid passing by the conductingmembers 26 can undergo a more streamlined flow and be evenly distributed in the spaces between the conductingmembers 26. In order to enhance heat exchange, thefirst end sections 26 a or thesecond end sections 26 b may be configured withfins 44, as shown inFIGS. 5 and 6 , which may be provided at regular intervals along a longitudinal axis of the conductingmembers 26. Thefins 44 may be provided longitudinally throughout the conductingmembers 26 or may be provided within a longitudinal portion of the conductingmembers 26. For example, thefins 44 may be provided only on thefirst end sections 26 a. Thefins 44 are provided to increase surface areas on which heat exchange can occur between the conductingmembers 26 and the cooling medium as theair 33 moves in between thefins 44. The longitudinal spacing between thefins 44 is not drawn to scale and thefins 44 may be located closer to or apart from one another than the embodiments shown inFIG. 5 or 6 in order to alter a heat transfer coefficient at theend sections members 26. For example, thefins 44 may be located so close to one another as to provide a gap that is smaller than the thickness of thefins 44. As shown in the embodiments ofFIGS. 5-6 , thefins 44 may be embodied ascircular flanges 44 a,rectangular flanges 44 b or other polygonal or irregular shapes but may also be embodied in a variety of geometries affecting heat transfer efficiency. For example, therectangular flanges 44 b may be slightly bent at the corners toward the two longitudinal ends of the conductingmembers 26 and the directions in which the corners are bent may alternate as shown inFIG. 6 . - Because a plurality of conducting
members 26 is disposed in theintercooler 10, a pattern in which the conductingmembers 26 are arranged may also affect a heat transfer coefficient between the cooling medium and the conductingmembers 26.FIG. 7 partially shows a flow path of the compressedgaseous fluid 11 through an arrangement of the conductingmembers 26 in which thefirst end sections 26 a are configured withfins 44 a. In a pattern where all of the conductingmembers 26 are parallel to one another, as shown inFIG. 7 , the pattern may be divided into a plurality ofsubsets 46 of conductingmembers 26 that are parallel and vertically aligned. In the pattern ofFIG. 7 , although eachsubset 46 includes conductingmembers 26 that are parallel and vertically aligned, two neighboringsubsets 46 are misaligned or staggered horizontally about one another such that the flow path of the cooling medium encounters a greater number of conductingmembers 26, compared to a pattern in which neighboringsubsets 46 are also horizontally aligned, thereby generating increased heat exchange between the compressedgaseous fluid 11 and thefirst end sections 26 a. Such horizontal misalignment between neighboringsubsets 46 can also be implemented to the embodiment ofFIG. 4 even if all of the conductingmembers 26 are not parallel to one another due to the radial arrangement of thesubsets 46. Similarly, in such a configuration, thesubsets 46 would include parallel and vertically aligned conductingmembers 26 but neighboringsubsets 46 would be horizontally misaligned. - The
intercooler 10 described herein provides an apparatus for removing heat from compressedgaseous fluid 11 traveling from the LPC to the HPC. Thefirst end sections 26 a of the conductingmembers 26 take away heat from the compressedgaseous fluid 11 and transmit the heat to thesecond end sections 26 b. Thefirst end sections 26 a may be configured withfins 44 to enhance heat exchange between the compressedgaseous fluid 11 and thefirst end sections 26 a. Thesecond end sections 26 b can be disposed in a flow path of one or more cooling medium (e.g., coolingliquid 35 and/or air 33) to enhance heat loss from thesecond end sections 26 b to the atmosphere. By providing thesecond end sections 26 b in thewick element 30, the coolingliquid 35 can be cooled by convective cooling (i.e., the upward movement ofair 33 generated by theblower 32 in counter flow with downwardly falling cooling liquid 35) or the evaporative cooling (i.e., gasification of the coolingliquid 35 taking away heat from neighboring cooling liquid 35 in the wick element 30). In case of the coolingliquid 35, the coolingliquid 35 can be recovered after being released toward thesecond end sections 26 b and re-circulated for cooling prior to being released again toward thesecond end sections 26 b. - In the embodiment of
FIG. 4 , the donut-shapedshell 16 substantially encircling thetower cooler 18 a allows the compressedgaseous fluid 11 to move smoothly therethrough without facing obstructions such that the compressedgaseous fluid 11 experiences a low pressure drop and the overall efficiency of the gas turbine is improved. Other shell shapes, e.g. U-shape, providing smooth curving path for the air flow yield similar benefit of low pressure drop. -
FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of the conductingmembers 26.FIG. 8 only shows one of thefirst end section 26 a or thesecond end section 26 b of the conductingmembers 26 but the same configuration can be implemented on the other end section. In this embodiment, each end of the plurality of the conductingmembers 26 includessubmembers 50 which are finned similarly toFIGS. 5-6 . Thesubmembers 50 transition to aheader 52 which includestransition sections 54 at each end and a bundledsection therebetween 56. Thetransition sections 54 and thesubmembers 50 are located inside theshell 16 or thecasing 22 while the bundledsection 56 extends through theshell 16 or thecasing 22 thus reducing the number of holes formed on theshell 16 or thecasing 22 to one. - The invention has been described with reference to the example embodiments described above. Modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. Example embodiments incorporating one or more aspects of the invention are intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims (21)
1. An intercooler including a shell with an inlet and an outlet, the shell defining a first chamber, the intercooler further including a plurality of elongate conducting members, each of the conducting members including a first end section and a second end section, each of the conducting members disposed such that each of the first end sections is inside the first chamber of the shell and such that each of the second end sections is disposed exteriorly of the shell, each of the second end sections disposed in a flow path of at least one cooling medium so as to undergo evaporative cooling.
2. The intercooler of claim 1 , compressed gaseous fluid adapted to move through the first chamber from the inlet to the outlet, the first end sections disposed in a flow path of the compressed gaseous fluid.
3. The intercooler of claim 1 , the plurality of elongate conducting members including a header with a first end and a second end, the header transitioning to a first set of submembers at the first end and to a second set of submembers at the second end respectively, the first end positioned inside the shell and the second end positioned exteriorly of the shell.
4. The intercooler of claim 1 , further including a cooler defining a second chamber, each of the second end sections disposed inside the second chamber, the at least one cooling medium adapted to move through the second chamber.
5. The intercooler of claim 4 , the cooler further including a discharger for supplying, as the at least one cooling medium, a cooling liquid to the second end sections.
6. The intercooler of claim 5 , the cooler including a wick element in which each of the second end sections is embedded, the wick element configured to retain the cooling liquid by capillary action.
7. The intercooler of claim 6 , the cooler including a container disposed at a base of the cooler to recover the cooling liquid not retained in the wick element.
8. The intercooler of claim 6 , the cooler further including a blower generating movement of air, the wick element disposed in a flow path of the air.
9. The intercooler of claim 1 , the intercooler adapted for use with a gas turbine engine including a low pressure compressor and a high pressure compressor, the shell located between the low pressure compressor and the high pressure compressor, the first chamber in fluid communication with the low pressure compressor and the high pressure compressor, compressed gaseous fluid moving from the low pressure compressor to the high pressure compressor.
10. An intercooler including:
a shell defining a first chamber; and
a plurality of elongate conducting members, each of the conducting members including a first end section and a second end section, each of the conducting members disposed such that each of the first end sections is inside the first chamber of the shell and such that each of the second end sections converges toward one another, each of the second end sections disposed in a flow path of at least one cooling medium so as to undergo evaporative cooling.
11. The intercooler of claim 10 , compressed gaseous fluid adapted to move through the first chamber and at least one cooling medium adapted to move through the second chamber, each of the first end sections disposed in a flow path of the compressed gaseous fluid moving through the gas turbine engine.
12. The intercooler of claim 10 , further including a cooler including a peripheral wall defining a second chamber, the peripheral wall surrounded by the shell.
13. The intercooler of claim 12 , the shell arranged to substantially encircle the cooler.
14. The intercooler of claim 12 , the conducting members disposed radially about the cooler.
15. The intercooler of claim 12 , the cooler further including a discharger for supplying, as the at least one cooling medium, a cooling liquid to the second end sections.
16. The intercooler of claim 15 , the cooler further including a wick element in which the second end sections are embedded.
17. The intercooler of claim 10 , the intercooler adapted for use with a gas turbine engine including a low pressure compressor and a high pressure compressor, the shell configured between the low pressure compressor and the high pressure compressor such that the first chamber is in fluid communication with the high pressure compressor and the low pressure compressor, compressed gaseous fluid moving from the low pressure compressor to the high pressure compressor.
18. A method of cooling compressed gaseous fluid including the steps of:
disposing each of first end sections of a plurality of elongate conducting members in a flow path of compressed gaseous fluid such that heat from the compressed gaseous fluid is transferred toward second end sections of the conducting members by way of conduction;
disposing each of second end sections of the conducting members in a flow path of at least one cooling medium; and
generating a flow of the at least one cooling medium moving toward the second end sections such that heat from the second end sections is transferred to the cooling medium.
19. The method of claim 18 , the step of generating a flow of the at least one cooling medium using a discharger.
20. The method of claim 19 , the discharger configured to supply a cooling liquid.
21. The method of claim 20 , further including the step of embedding each of the second end sections in a wick element configured to retain the cooling liquid by capillary action.
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/849,113 US20120031600A1 (en) | 2010-08-03 | 2010-08-03 | Turbine intercooler |
CN2011102291544A CN102345513A (en) | 2010-08-03 | 2011-08-03 | Turbine intercooler |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/849,113 US20120031600A1 (en) | 2010-08-03 | 2010-08-03 | Turbine intercooler |
Publications (1)
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US20120031600A1 true US20120031600A1 (en) | 2012-02-09 |
Family
ID=45544528
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US12/849,113 Abandoned US20120031600A1 (en) | 2010-08-03 | 2010-08-03 | Turbine intercooler |
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US (1) | US20120031600A1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN102345513A (en) |
Cited By (4)
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US20120017564A1 (en) * | 2010-07-20 | 2012-01-26 | General Electric Company | Superconductive heat transfer system |
US20140058169A1 (en) * | 2012-08-21 | 2014-02-27 | Uop Llc | Methane conversion apparatus and process using a supersonic flow reactor |
CN114439616A (en) * | 2020-11-06 | 2022-05-06 | 通用电气航空系统有限责任公司 | Combustion engine comprising a turbomachine |
US11486315B2 (en) | 2020-11-06 | 2022-11-01 | Ge Aviation Systems Llc | Combustion engine including turbomachine |
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CN109773753B (en) * | 2018-12-04 | 2021-03-02 | 广州伟波邦进出口有限公司 | High-efficient physics cooling arm |
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CN114439616A (en) * | 2020-11-06 | 2022-05-06 | 通用电气航空系统有限责任公司 | Combustion engine comprising a turbomachine |
US20220145796A1 (en) * | 2020-11-06 | 2022-05-12 | Ge Aviation Systems Llc | Combustion engine including turbomachine |
US11486315B2 (en) | 2020-11-06 | 2022-11-01 | Ge Aviation Systems Llc | Combustion engine including turbomachine |
Also Published As
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