Patent attributes
A power generating system (20) includes a generator (22) and a combustion turbine (24) for driving the generator (22). The combustion turbine (24) may have a combustion turbine air inlet (30) for receiving an inlet airflow (25). The power generating system (20) may include an evaporative water cooler (26) or fogging evaporative system (26′) for cooling inlet airflow (25), and an inlet airflow temperature sensor (28) proximate or within the combustion turbine air inlet (30). The inlet airflow temperature sensor (28) may sense a drybulb temperature of the inlet airflow (25) proximate the air inlet (30). A controller (47′) is provided for controlling the cooling of inlet airflow (25) across transient load conditions of the power generating system (20′). This control may be based upon the sensed drybulb temperature used to calculate an approach temperature with respect to the inlet airflow (25′) that is compared to an approach temperature setpoint based on load. The controller may adjust the flow rate of water of the fogging system (26′) to maintain the calculated approach temperature within limits of the setpoint.
