Pre-Cooler for Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers

Abstract

An apparatus for conditioning an inlet air for an air-cooled heat exchanger, comprising a pre-cooler tube bundle configured to circulate a cooling medium, wherein the pre-cooler tube bundle is configured to remove heat from air circulated across the pre-cooler tube bundle, wherein the pre-cooler tube bundle is configured to be positioned on an air inlet side of the air-cooled heat exchanger in a plenum.

1 . An apparatus for conditioning an inlet air for an air-cooled heat exchanger, comprising:
 a pre-cooler tube bundle configured to circulate a cooling medium,   wherein the pre-cooler tube bundle is configured to remove heat from air circulated across the pre-cooler tube bundle,   wherein the pre-cooler tube bundle is configured to be positioned on an air inlet side of the air-cooled heat exchanger in a plenum.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-cooler comprises a cooling coil, and wherein the cooling coil is a plain, externally finned, internally finned, continuously finned, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-cooler comprises a plate pack assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to circulate the cooling medium through the pre-cooler tube bundle when an ambient air temperature is above a first preselected temperature and stop circulation of the cooling medium through the pre-cooler tube bundle when the ambient air temperature is below a second preselected temperature. 
     
     
         5 . An air-cooled heat exchanger system, comprising:
 a tube bundle having an air inlet side and an air outlet side;   a fan, wherein the fan is disposed on the air outlet side of the tube bundle for an induced-draft heat exchanger system, and wherein the fan is disposed on the air inlet side of the tube bundle for a forced-draft heat exchanger system; and   a pre-cooler disposed on the air inlet side of the tube bundle, wherein the pre-cooler is configured to lower an ambient air temperature to an inlet temperature when a cooling medium is circulated through the pre-cooler, and wherein the air inlet temperature is within a preselected temperature tolerance.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a second tube bundle having an inlet side and an outlet side; and   a second fan,   wherein the second fan is disposed adjacent to the first fan, wherein the first tube bundle and the second tube bundle extend laterally in parallel in a bay, and wherein the first tube bundle is disposed with respect to the second tube bundle such that the air outlet side of the first tube bundle feeds an air inlet side of the second tube bundle.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the pre-cooler is further configured to raise the ambient air temperature to a second inlet temperature when a warming medium is circulated through the pre-cooler. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the pre-cooler comprises a cooling coil, and wherein the cooling coil is a plain, externally finned, internally finned, continuously finned, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the pre-cooler comprises a plate pack assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to circulate the cooling medium through the pre-cooler when the ambient air temperature is above a first preselected temperature and stop circulation of the cooling medium through the pre-cooler when the ambient air temperature is below a second preselected temperature. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the pre-cooler is further configured to raise the ambient air temperature to a second inlet temperature when a warming medium is circulated through the pre-cooler, and wherein the controller is further configured to circulate the warming medium through the pre-cooler when the ambient air temperature is below a third preselected temperature and stop circulation of the warming medium through the pre-cooler when the ambient air temperature is above a fourth preselected temperature. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the air-cooled heat exchanger system does not feed a gas combustion turbine or a vehicle. 
     
     
         13 . A method of removing heat from a process fluid, comprising:
 circulating a pre-cooler medium through a pre-cooler disposed on the air inlet side of an air-cooled heat exchanger tube bundle;   circulating the process fluid through the air-cooled heat exchanger tube bundle;   passing air to the pre-cooler at a first temperature;   changing the temperature of the air to create a conditioned air;   passing the conditioned air through the air inlet side of the air-cooled heat exchanger tube bundle; and   removing heat from the process fluid by heat exchange with the conditioned air.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the temperature of the air is higher than the temperature of the conditioned air. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the temperature of the air is lower than the temperature of the conditioned air. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein passing the air to the pre-cooler comprises moving the air with a plurality of fans. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the pre-cooler comprises a plate pack assembly or a cooling coil, and wherein the cooling coil is a plain, externally finned, internally finned, continuously finned, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the air-cooled heat exchanger tube bundle comprises a plurality of tube bundles arranged in parallel in a bay. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the pre-cooler medium comprises a halocarbon compound. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the pre-cooler medium comprises a vapor.