APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COOLING COMBUSTION TURBINE INLET AIR USING LIQUID HYDROCARBON FUEL

摘要

Liquid fuel for a power plant is vaporized against a heat-exchange fluid, cooling the fluid. A re-circulation circuit (32) enables cooled fluid to be re- directed back for further cooling, when desired. The cooled fluid is used to cool the inlet air for a combustion turbine (16). Some of the cooled fluid i s periodically directing to the bottom of a stratified tank (12), from which i t can be drawn during times when the need for or value of cooling the inlet ai r is higher. The fluid is warmed as it cools the inlet air, and may be returne d for use in vaporizing additional fuel, or returned to the top of the stratified tank (12).