Inlet filter housing having components comprising part of a filter system and together forming the housing

Abstract

The present invention provides an inlet filter housing (100) comprising a plurality of components (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) that together form a complete filtration and conditioning system for filtering and conditioning a fluid (142) along a housing flow path (144). Each component (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) is configured to fit within the exterior structure of an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) shipping container (152A-152H, 182A, 196A-196C) providing a rectangular cubic enclosure. Each component (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) includes an operative structure for at least one of: a) only a portion of the axial extent of the filtration and conditioning system, and b) only a portion of the lateral cross-sectional area of ​​the housing flow path (144).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to power generation equipment and, more particularly, to an inlet filter housing comprising a plurality of components. Each component comprises the operative structure of at least one of: a) only a portion of the axial extent of the filtration and conditioning system, and b) only a portion of the lateral cross-sectional area of ​​the housing flow path. Collectively, these components can be assembled on-site to form a large, single inlet filter housing. Background Art

[0002] Sometimes it is necessary to provide a filtered and conditioned air flow to power generation equipment such as gas turbine systems. The equipment for filtering and conditioning the air flow is housed in an inlet filter housing at the upstream end of the power generation equipment. The inlet filter housing encloses the operational structures for filtering and conditioning and forms a flow path for the air flow. Inlet filter housings are very large structures, and their dimensions vary depending on the size of the power generation equipment. For example, they can be 6 meters high and 20 meters wide, but they can also be much larger. The axial length of the inlet filter housing can also vary greatly, depending on the operational structures that will be employed therein, such as: weather protection systems, various filter systems, temperature control systems, humidity control systems, monitoring equipment, and flow guiding elements such as vanes or transition pieces.

[0003] Conventionally, inlet filter housings are manufactured in component parts and shipped to the power plant site where they are assembled. These components are highly segmented and individually do not provide any portion of the complete housing flow path, such as a portion of the cross-section or the axial extent of the flow path. Depending on the size and complexity of the inlet filter housing, the number of shipments may be very large, for example, greater than 25, which may make the transportation of the housing very expensive. In addition, the complexity and cost of transportation may be significantly increased in cases where the components of the inlet filter housing do not fit within an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) shipping container or in cases where they have a particularly large weight. The number of hours to assemble each inlet filter housing is very large, for example, a minimum of 1300 hours.

[0004] One approach to addressing this situation is to utilize multiple, independently packaged inlet filter housings, each formed from an ISO shipping container and stackable together to collectively provide adequate air filtration. This approach presents several disadvantages. Notably, because each inlet filter housing is independently packaged within its own ISO shipping container, the shipping container forms its own separate but complete flow path. Therefore, any large inlet filter housing must include multiple individual filter housings. The isolation between adjacent containers prevents the formation of a single flow path and creates complexity in operating, and more importantly, maintaining, the various filter systems. For example, changing a filter requires accessing each housing individually, which is time consuming and costly. The need to control multiple individual filter housings also requires complex changes to current control systems, such as to monitor and control multiple small filter housings instead of a single large filter housing. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure provides an inlet filter housing comprising: a plurality of components that together form a complete filtration and conditioning system for filtering and conditioning a fluid along a housing flow path, wherein each component fits within the exterior structure of an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) shipping container providing a rectangular cuboid enclosure; wherein each component includes operative structure for at least one of: a) only a portion of the axial extent of the filtration and conditioning system, and b) only a portion of the lateral cross-sectional area of ​​the housing flow path.

[0006] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a gas turbine (GT) system comprising: a turbine section; a combustor operatively coupled to the turbine section; a compressor operatively coupled to the combustor; and an inlet filter housing operatively coupled to the compressor, the inlet filter housing comprising: a plurality of components that together form a complete filtration and conditioning system for filtering and conditioning a fluid along a housing flow path, wherein each component fits within the outer structure of an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) shipping container providing a rectangular cubic enclosure; wherein each component includes an operative structure for at least one of: a) only a portion of the axial extent of the filtration and conditioning system, and b) only a portion of the lateral cross-sectional area of ​​the housing flow path.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a method of forming an inlet filter housing, comprising: manufacturing a plurality of components that together form a complete filtration and conditioning system for filtering and conditioning a fluid along a housing flow path, wherein each component fits within the exterior structure of an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) shipping container providing a rectangular cuboid enclosure; wherein each component includes an operative structure for at least one of: a) only a portion of the axial extent of the filtration and conditioning system, and b) only a portion of the lateral cross-sectional area of ​​the housing flow path; transporting the plurality of components to a power plant site; and assembling the plurality of components at the power plant site to form the complete filtration and conditioning system for filtering and conditioning a fluid along the housing flow path.

[0008] The exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are designed to solve the problems described herein and / or other problems not discussed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] These and other features of the present disclosure will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of various aspects of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which depict various embodiments of the disclosure, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 is a front perspective view of an inlet filter housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 2 is a side view of an inlet filter housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 3 is a top-down cross-sectional view of an inlet filter housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 4 is a schematic front perspective view of an inlet filter housing divided into components according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 5 is a schematic rear perspective view of an inlet filter housing divided into components according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 6 is a schematic rear perspective view of a transition piece of an inlet filter housing divided into components according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 7 is a perspective view of components of an inlet filter housing with portions of a shipping container's walls removed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of an inlet filter housing divided into components according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 9 is an exploded schematic diagram of an inlet filter housing divided into components according to other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 10 is a highly exploded schematic diagram of an inlet filter housing divided into components according to yet other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 11 is a highly exploded schematic diagram of an inlet filter housing divided into components according to yet other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] It should be noted that the drawings of the present disclosure are not necessarily drawn to scale. The drawings are intended to depict only typical aspects of the present disclosure and therefore should not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In the drawings, similar numbers represent similar elements between the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] First, in order to clearly describe the presently disclosed subject matter, it will be necessary to select certain terms when referring to and describing the inlet filter housing or related machine components within a gas turbine system. To the extent possible, common industry terms will be used and adopted in a manner consistent with the accepted meaning of the terms. Unless otherwise indicated, such terms should be given a broad interpretation consistent with the context of this application and the scope of the appended claims. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that several different or overlapping terms may often be used to refer to a particular component. An object that may be described herein as a single component may include multiple components and be referenced in another context as consisting of multiple components. Alternatively, an object that may be described herein as comprising multiple components may be referred to as a single component elsewhere.

[0023] In addition, several descriptive terms may be used periodically herein, and it should prove helpful to define these terms at the beginning of this section. Unless otherwise indicated, these terms, and their definitions, are as follows. As used herein, "downstream" and "upstream" are terms that indicate the direction relative to the flow of a fluid, such as a working fluid through a turbine engine, or, for example, an air flow through a combustor or a coolant through one of the component systems of a turbine. The term "downstream" corresponds to the direction of the flow of the fluid, and the term "upstream" refers to the direction opposite to the flow (i.e., the direction in which the flow is emitted). Without any further detail, the terms "front" and "rear" refer to directions, where "front" refers to the front end or intake end of the inlet filter housing, and "rear" refers to the rear section of the inlet filter housing.

[0024] It is often necessary to describe parts that are arranged in different radial positions relative to a central axis. The term "radial" refers to movement or position perpendicular to the axis. For example, if a first component is closer to the axis than a second component, this document will refer to the first component as being "radially inward" of the second component or "inside" the second component. On the other hand, if the first component resides farther away from the axis than the second component, this document may refer to the first component as being "radially outward" or "outboard" of the second component. The term "axial" refers to movement or position parallel to the axis. Finally, the term "circumferential" refers to movement or position around the axis. It should be understood that such terms can apply relative to the central axis of the turbine.

[0025] In addition, several descriptive terms may be used regularly herein, as described below. The terms "first," "second," and "third" may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to indicate the position or importance of individual components.

[0026] The terms used herein are only used to describe the purpose of specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that when used in the specification, the terms "comprise" and / or "comprising" specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groups. "Optional" or "optionally" means that the event or situation described subsequently may or may not occur, or the parts or elements described subsequently may or may not exist, and the description includes instances in which the event occurs or parts exist and instances in which the event does not occur or parts do not exist.

[0027] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "engaged to," "connected to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged to, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer, or there may be intervening elements or layers. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0028] As described above, the present disclosure provides an inlet filter housing comprising a plurality of components which together form a complete filtration and conditioning system for filtering and conditioning fluids along a housing flow path. Each component is configured to fit within the outer structure of an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) shipping container providing a rectangular cubical housing. Each component includes an operational structure for at least one of: a) only a portion of the axial extent of the filtration and conditioning system, and b) only a portion of the lateral cross-sectional area of ​​the housing flow path. In this way, the portions of the inlet filter housing can be prefabricated and shipped to their final location for assembly. Compared to conventional systems, the components are assembled to form a single inlet filter housing through which a single flow path passes. The shipping container for each component defines at most only a portion of the outer shell of the inlet filter housing, i.e., no inner walls that segment the housing flow path are retained in the shipping container.

[0029] Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an exemplary inlet filter housing 100 that may be divided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 2 The inlet filter housing 100 may include any now known or later developed filter and conditioning system 102 ( Figure 2 ).

[0030] For illustrative purposes, the inlet filter housing 100 is shown in FIG. Figure 2 10 is shown in conjunction with a power generation device in the form of a gas turbine (GT) system 104. The GT system 104 may include any combustion turbine system now known or later developed. In one embodiment, the GT system 104 is a typical engine commercially available from General Electric Company, Greenville, SC. ​​The present disclosure is not limited to any particular GT system and may be implemented with other engines, including, for example, General Electric's HA, F, B, LM, GT, TM, and E-class engine models, as well as engine models from other companies. The GT system 104 may generally include a turbine section 110, a combustor 112 operatively coupled to the turbine section 110, a compressor 114 operatively coupled to the combustor 112, and an inlet filter housing 100 operatively coupled to the compressor 114. The compressor 114 may be operatively coupled to the gas turbine 110 via a shared compressor / turbine rotor 116.

[0031] In operation, air is drawn through the inlet filter housing 100 by the compressor 114 before being directed from the outlet 117 of the inlet filter housing 100 to the GT system 100, where it is filtered and conditioned. The compressed air is supplied to the combustor 112. Specifically, the compressed air is supplied to a fuel nozzle assembly (not separately labeled) that is integral with the combustor 112. The fuel nozzle assembly is also in fluid communication with a fuel source (not shown) and directs the fuel and air to the combustor 112. The combustor 112 is ignited and the fuel is combusted. The combustor 112 is in fluid communication with the turbine section 110, where the thermal energy of the gas stream is converted into mechanical rotational energy. The turbine section 110 is rotatably coupled to and drives a rotor 116. The compressor 114 is also rotatably coupled to the rotor 116. While this document will describe the inlet filter housing 100 for use with a power generation plant, it should be emphasized that it is applicable to other industrial applications requiring filtered and conditioned fluids.

[0032] Figure 3 A top-down cross-sectional view of an inlet filter housing 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The inlet filter housing 100 may include any now known or later developed operative structure for filtering and / or conditioning a fluid passing therethrough. In one embodiment, the fluid is air, but it may include a variety of other fluids, such as gases, depending on the application other than the GT system. A non-limiting and non-exhaustive list of operative structures may include one or more of the following: a gas protection system 120 (e.g., a shroud, a cover, etc.), a self-cleaning filter 122, a stacked filter 124, a temperature control system 126 (e.g., a heating or cooling coil), a humidity control system 128 (e.g., a sprayer or dehumidifier with multiple water nozzles), a monitoring system 130, and any of the various flow directing systems 132 (e.g., vanes 134 at the upstream end 136 and / or a diverter / transition 138 at the downstream end 140). The operative structures provided and their size and shape may vary based on a variety of factors, such as, but not limited to: the type of application, the size of the application (e.g., the size of the GT system 104), and the environment in which it is employed. Auxiliary structure 148 ( Figure 8 ) such as doors, access platforms / stairs, and external supports / mounting features may also be part of component 150.

[0033] Figure 4 shows a schematic front perspective view of an inlet filter housing 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5 1 shows a schematic rear perspective view of an inlet filter housing 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figures 4 and 5As shown, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the inlet filter housing 100 may be segmented or divided during manufacture into a plurality of components 150A to 150E that together form a plurality of components for use along the housing flow path 144 (only Figure 3 ) Complete filtration and conditioning system 102 for filtering and conditioning fluid 142 ( Figures 2 to 3 ).exist Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the example of FIG, five components (compartments) 150A to 150E are shown. As will be described further, depending on the size of the inlet filter housing 100, it can be divided into more or fewer components 150.

[0034] In any case, each component 150 is configured to fit within the exterior structure of an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) shipping container 152, which provides a rectangular, cubical enclosure. ISO shipping containers 152 may include any form of large, standardized intermodal container designed and constructed for intermodal freight transportation. ISO shipping containers 152 are primarily used to efficiently and safely transport freight within the global containerized intermodal freight transportation system. That is, ISO shipping containers 152 can be used in different modes of transportation, such as from trucks to railroads to ships, without requiring the cargo contained therein to be unloaded and reloaded. ISO shipping containers 152 come in a variety of sizes, but each is configured to facilitate transportation by standardizing container dimensions, making them easily handled by handling systems (e.g., cargo cranes) and stacked and / or otherwise secured within a transportation mechanism (e.g., a truck, train, ship, etc.). Exemplary standardized dimensions may be: a height of 8 feet 6 inches (2.6 meters (m) or 9 feet 6 inches (2.9 m); a width of 8 feet 6 inches (2.6 m) or 9 feet 6 inches (2.9 m); and a length of twenty or forty feet (6.1 or 12.2 m).

[0035] Unlike each ISO shipping container 152, which includes a complete filter and conditioning system 102, each component 150 includes operative structure for at least one of: a) only a portion of the axial extent of the filtration and conditioning system 102, and b) only a portion of the lateral cross-sectional area of ​​the housing flow path 144. The housing flow path 144 comprises the lateral cross-section (height H and width W) of the inlet filter housing 100. Components 150 are manufactured to include operative structure for only a portion of the axial extent (a portion of the distance from the upstream end 136 to the downstream end 140), and / or a portion of the cross-sectional area of ​​the housing flow path 144 (a portion of the operative structure within the local height H and width W of the housing flow path 144).

[0036] like Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown in the example of FIG, in which an ISO shipping container 152 is used that is 8 feet 6 inches by 8 feet 6 inches by 20 feet, the exemplary component 150A may include an operative structure extending just less than 8 feet 6 inches (2.6 meters) downstream from the upstream end 136, extending from its left side across the upstream end 136 (facing the upstream end 136, and at Figure 4 More specifically, if Figure 3 As best shown, component 150A may include upstream end 136, as well as a left portion of weather protection system 120 (e.g., shroud, cover, etc.), vanes 134, and filter stack 124. In this example, component 150A does not include, for example, temperature control system 126, humidity control system 128, and monitoring system 130. Component 150A may also include portions of housing 160 of inlet filter housing 100. In the example shown, component 150A includes a portion of the left axial extent, top corner, and bottom corner of housing 160.

[0037] exist Figures 3 to 5 In the example shown, component 150B may include an operative structure extending just less than 8 feet 6 inches (2.6 m) downstream from upstream end 136, spanning the center of upstream end 136 (at Figure 4 The entirety of the truss (from left to right in the middle) extends just under 8 feet 6 inches (2.6 m) and is just under 20 feet (6.1 m) high. Figure 3 As best shown, component 150B may include upstream end 136 and a center portion of: weather protection system 120, vanes 134, and filter stack 124. In this example, component 150B does not include, for example, temperature control system 126, humidity control system 128, and monitoring system 130. Component 150B may also include portions of housing 160 of inlet filter housing 100. In the example shown, component 150B includes the top center and bottom center of housing 160 at upstream end 136.

[0038] exist Figures 3 to 5 In the example shown, component 150C may include an operative structure extending just less than 8 feet 6 inches (2.6 m) downstream from upstream end 136, starting from the right side of upstream end 136 ( Figure 4 ) extends just under 8 feet 6 inches (2.6 m) and is just under 20 feet (6.1 m) in height. Figure 3As best shown, component 150C may include upstream end 136 and a right side portion of weather protection system 120, vanes 134, and filter stack 124. In this example, component 150C does not include, for example, temperature control system 126, humidity control system 128, and monitoring system 130. Component 150C may also include portions of housing 160 of inlet filter housing 100. In the example shown, component 150C includes a portion of the right axial extent, top corner, and bottom corner of housing 160.

[0039] exist Figures 3 to 5 In the example shown, the lengths of components 150D and 150E extend laterally across the inlet shell path 144, rather than extending vertically as with components 150A through 150C. Here, components 150D, 150E each include an axial extent of operative structure extending just less than 8 feet 6 inches (2.6 m) upstream from the downstream end 140 and just less than twenty feet (6.1 m) across the width of the shell flow path 144. Component 150D includes operative structure just less than 8 feet 6 inches (2.6 m) from the top side of the shell flow path 144, and component 150E includes operative structure just less than 8 feet 6 inches (2.6 m) from the bottom side of the shell flow path 144. Figure 3 As best shown, components 150D and 150E may include respective upper and lower portions of the temperature control system 126, humidity control system 128, and monitoring system 130. In this example, components 150D and 150E do not include, for example, any of the weather protection system 120, vanes 134, and stacked filters 124. Components 150D and 150E may also include portions of the housing 160 of the inlet filter housing 100. In the example shown, component 150D includes the upper portion of the right and left axial extents of the housing 160, as well as the entire width of the top side, and component 150E includes the lower portion of the right and left axial extents of the housing 160, as well as the entire width of the bottom side.

[0040] Figure 6 A schematic perspective view of three components 150F, 150G, 150H are shown for dividing the transition piece 138 at the downstream side 140. Here, three ISO shipping containers 152F, 152G, 152H may be employed, which may be of the same or different standardized sizes as the ISO shipping containers 152A-152C, e.g., depending on the size of the transition piece 138.

[0041] As described above, the plurality of components 150 collectively define the housing 160 of the inlet filter housing 100, which defines the housing flow path 144. Thus, each given component 150 of the plurality of components may define, at most, only a portion of the housing 160. Figures 4 and 5 As shown, certain components 150 may define a portion of a housing 160. Figure 4 and Figure 5 1, component 150 includes a corresponding portion of housing 160, such as metal wall 162. Here, wall 162 is located within and inwardly spaced from wall 164 of a corresponding ISO shipping container 152.

[0042] Alternatively, if Figure 7 As shown, the wall 164 of the ISO shipping container 152 of any component 150 may provide a corresponding portion of the housing 160. In this case, for ( Figure 4 150C), the component may include a housing base 170 to which a wall portion 172 of a corresponding ISO shipping container 152C is removably coupled. Thus, the remaining wall portion 174 of the ISO shipping container 152C may form a portion of the housing 160 of the inlet filter housing 100. In the example shown, the remaining wall portion 174 provides a portion of the axial extent of the housing 160, as well as the top and bottom right upstream portions. The removed wall portion(s) 172 may be removed and reused.

[0043] Figure 8 An exploded perspective view of an inlet filter housing 100 that is divided in a manner different from the previous embodiment is shown. Here, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the inlet filter housing 100 is divided into nine (9) components 180A through 180I. Each component 180A through 180I can be segmented to fit within a corresponding ISO shipping container 182A (only one component is shown). Here, each component 180 extends the entire height H of the inlet filter housing 100 and comprises one-third (1 / 3) of the lateral width of the resulting housing flow path collectively formed by the components 180A through 180I.

[0044] Figure 8As also shown, if desired, one or more components, such as 150A to 150C, 180G to 180I, may include a support base 186 to which a transport support 188 can be removably coupled. The transport support 188 can include any structural support member, such as an I-beam, that provides support for portions of the component 180 that may not support themselves, at least during transport. For example, the transport support 188 can support operational structures, such as piping, a filter base, and / or portions of the housing 160 (as shown). The support base 186 can include any now known or later developed structure to which the transport support 188 can be removably coupled, such as a plate having bolt holes or slots through which the transport support 188 is coupled. The support base 186 and / or the transport support 188 can be removed during assembly of the inlet filter housing 100 at the power plant site, or they can remain as part of the assembled inlet filter housing 100. Although shown as being arranged vertically, the shipping supports 188 may be configured in any manner to support any desired portion of the components 150, 180. Note that not all components 150, 180 may require shipping supports 188.

[0045] Figure 9 An exploded schematic diagram of an inlet filter housing 100 that is divided in a different manner than the previous embodiment is shown. Here, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the inlet filter housing 100 is divided into three (3) components 194A to 194C. Each component 194A to 194C can be segmented to fit within a corresponding ISO shipping container 196A to 196C (only one component is shown). Here, each component 194 extends the entire width W and height H of the inlet filter housing 100 and comprises one-third (1 / 3) of the length L (axially) of the final housing inlet path formed collectively by the components 194A to 194C.

[0046] Figure 10 and Figure 11 A highly exploded schematic diagram shows other arrangements of partitioned inlet filter housings 100. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, any number of components having any number of rows and / or columns may be employed.

[0047] Each component may include any necessary mechanisms for operatively coupling the component to one or more adjacent components. For example, for a humidity control system 128 that injects water into a fluid stream 142, a pipe coupling 190 ( Figure 8 ) Connects pipes in adjacent components. Figure 8In another example, for example, for portions of the housing 160 within adjacent components, any necessary seals 192 may be provided for one or more components. In another example, additional wiring lengths, such as wires and / or conduit, may be provided within selected components for coupling to wiring within adjacent components. Thus, the assembled inlet filter housing 100 may include the necessary mechanisms to operatively couple adjacent components along joint regions not typically present in conventional inlet filter housings.

[0048] A method of forming an inlet filter housing 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include manufacturing a plurality of components that together form a complete filtration and conditioning system 102 for filtering and conditioning a fluid 142 along a housing flow path 144. As described above, each component (e.g., 150, 180, 194) is configured to fit within the exterior structure of an ISO shipping container (e.g., 152, 182, 196) that provides a rectangular cubic enclosure. Each component includes an operative structure for at least one of: a) only a portion of the axial extent of the filtration and conditioning system 102, and b) only a portion of the lateral cross-sectional area of ​​the housing flow path 144.

[0049] The components may be transported to a power plant site and assembled at the power plant site to form a complete filtration and conditioning system 102 for filtering and conditioning fluid 142 along a housing flow path 144 ( Figure 3 Before assembly, the housing base 170 ( Figure 7 ) Remove a portion of the respective ISO shipping container 152, 182 that is coupled to the housing base. Figure 8 As shown, if desired, the component(s) 180 may include(s) support base(s) 186 to which the shipping supports 188 are removably coupled. The shipping supports 188 may be removed prior to assembling the components 180. As described above, the various components collectively define the housing 160 of the inlet filter housing 100, which defines the housing flow path 144 ( Figure 4 ). The ISO shipping container 152, 182, 196 of each component 150, 180, 194, respectively, defines at most only a portion of the housing 160. Figures 1 to 2 As shown, assembly also includes coupling the completed inlet filter housing 100 to a power generation device such as a GT system 104 .

[0050] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an inlet filter housing comprising a plurality of components that together form a complete filtration and regulation system for filtering and regulating fluids along a housing flow path. These components can be transported in ISO shipping containers, thereby reducing shipping times and, therefore, reducing the cost and complexity of transportation. The reduction in the number of components that must be connected together to assemble the inlet filter housing 100 saves time and money. In addition, the shipping container can define portions of the housing of the inlet filter housing (i.e., no inner walls that segment the housing flow path are retained in the shipping container), which shortens assembly time. In some cases, the assembly time of the inlet filter housing 100 can be shortened by more than 800 hours. Compared to conventional systems, the components are assembled to form a single inlet filter housing through which a single flow path passes. Therefore, a conventional control system can still be used. Pre-manufacturing at the manufacturing site also allows for enhanced quality control and overall reduced production costs in situations where on-site labor reliability is low.

[0051] As used throughout the specification and claims, approximating language may be used to modify any quantitative representation that can be permissibly varied without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it relates. Accordingly, a value modified by one or more terms such as "about," "approximately," and "substantially" is not limited to the precise value specified. In at least some cases, approximate language may correspond to the precision of an instrument used to measure the value. Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations may be combined and / or interchanged; unless context or language dictates otherwise, these ranges are identified and include all subranges contained therein. "About" applied to a particular value of a range applies to both end values ​​and may indicate + / - 10% of that value unless otherwise dependent upon the precision of the instrument for measuring the value.

[0052] The corresponding structures, materials, actions and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the following claims are intended to include any structure, material or action for performing the function in conjunction with other claimed elements for specific protection. The description of the present disclosure has been given for the purpose of illustration and description, but it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the disclosed forms. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and essence of the present disclosure. The embodiments have been selected and described in order to best explain the principles and practical applications of the present disclosure and to enable others skilled in the art to understand the various embodiments of the present disclosure with various modifications suitable for the intended specific use.

Claims

1. An inlet filter housing (100), comprising: A plurality of components (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) that collectively form a complete filtration and conditioning system (102) for filtering and conditioning a fluid (142) along a housing flow path (144), wherein each component (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) is configured to fit within the exterior structure of an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) shipping container (152, 182, 196) providing a rectangular cubic enclosure, wherein each component (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) comprises an operative structure for at least one of: a) only a portion of the axial extent of the filtration and conditioning system (102), and b) only a portion of the lateral cross-sectional area of ​​the housing flow path (144), wherein the plurality of components (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) collectively define an outer shell (160) of the inlet filter housing (100), the inlet filter housing defining the housing flow path (144), and the ISO shipping container (152A-152H, 182A, 196A-194C) of each of the plurality of components (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) defines, at most, only a portion of the outer shell (160), wherein no inner wall of the inlet filter housing (100) that segments the housing flow path remains from the shipping container.

2. The inlet filter housing (100) of claim 1, wherein each component (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) includes a housing base (170) to which a portion of the corresponding ISO shipping container (152A-152H, 182A, 196A-194C) is removably coupled.

3. The inlet filter housing (100) of claim 1, wherein at least one component (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) of the plurality of components (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) includes a support base (186) to which a transport support (188) is removably coupled.

4. The inlet filter housing (100) of claim 1, wherein the fluid (142) is air.

5. The inlet filter housing (100) of claim 1, wherein the flow of fluid (142) is directed from an outlet (117) of the inlet filter housing (100) to a power generation device.

6. The inlet filter housing (100) of claim 1, wherein the operative structure is selected from at least one of the following: a weather protection system (120), a self-cleaning filter (124), a stacked filter (124), a temperature control system (126), a humidity control system (128), a monitoring system (130), and a flow directing system (132).

7. A gas turbine (110) (GT) system (100), comprising: a gas turbine (110); a combustor (112) operatively coupled to the gas turbine (110); a compressor (114) operatively coupled to the combustor (112); and An inlet filter housing (100) operatively coupled to the compressor (114), the inlet filter housing (100) comprising: Multiple components (150A to 150H, 180A to 180I, 194A to 194C), The plurality of components collectively form a complete filtration and conditioning system (102) for filtering and conditioning a fluid (142) along a housing flow path (144), wherein each component (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) is configured to fit within the exterior structure of an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) shipping container (152A-152H, 182A, 196A-196C) providing a rectangular cubic enclosure, wherein each component (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) comprises an operative structure for at least one of: a) only a portion of the axial extent of the filtration and conditioning system (102), and b) only a portion of the lateral cross-sectional area of ​​the housing flow path (144), wherein the plurality of components (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) collectively define an outer shell (160) of the inlet filter housing (100), the inlet filter housing defining the housing flow path (144), and the ISO shipping container (152A-152H, 182A, 196A-194C) of each of the plurality of components (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) defines, at most, only a portion of the outer shell (160), wherein no inner wall of the inlet filter housing (100) that segments the housing flow path remains from the shipping container.

8. The GT system (100, 104) of claim 7, wherein each component (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) includes a housing base (170) to which a portion of the corresponding ISO shipping container (152A-152H, 182A, 196A-194C) is removably coupled.

9. The GT system (100, 104) of claim 7, wherein at least one component (150A to 150H, 180A to 180I, 194A to 194C) of the plurality of components (150A to 150H, 180A to 180I, 194A to 194C) includes a support base (186) to which a transport support (188) is removably coupled.

10. The GT system (100, 104) of claim 7, wherein the fluid (142) is air.

11. The GT system (100, 104) of claim 7, wherein the fluid (142) flow is directed from an outlet (117) of the inlet filter housing (100) to the compressor (114).

12. The GT system (100, 104) of claim 7, wherein the operative structure is selected from at least one of the following: a weather protection system (120), a self-cleaning filter (100), a stacked filter (124), a temperature control system (126), a humidity control system (128), a monitoring system (130), and a flow directing system (132).

13. A method of forming an inlet filter housing (100), comprising: manufacturing a plurality of components (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) that together form a complete filtration and conditioning system (102) for filtering and conditioning a fluid (142) along a housing flow path (144), wherein each component (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) is configured to fit within the exterior structure of an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) shipping container (152A-152H, 182A, 196A-196C) providing a rectangular cubic enclosure, wherein each component (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) comprises an operative structure for at least one of: a) only a portion of the axial extent of the filtration and conditioning system (102), and b) only a portion of the lateral cross-sectional area of ​​the housing flow path (144); transporting the plurality of components (150A to 150H, 180A to 180I, 194A to 194C) to a power plant site; as well as assembling the plurality of components (150A to 150H, 180A to 180I, 194A to 194C) at the power plant site to form the complete filtration and conditioning system (102) for filtering and conditioning the fluid (142) along the housing flow path (144), wherein the plurality of components (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) collectively define an outer shell (160) of the inlet filter housing (100), the inlet filter housing defining the housing flow path (144), and the ISO shipping container (152A-152H, 182A, 196A-194C) of each of the plurality of components (150A-150H, 180A-180I, 194A-194C) defines, at most, only a portion of the outer shell (160), wherein no inner wall of the inlet filter housing (100) that segments the housing flow path remains from the shipping container.

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