Excalibur helps Manchester Airport lop 4 GWh a year off chiller energy consumption
The electrical consumption of air chillers at Manchester Airport is set to be reduced by over 4 GWh a year following the completion of a major project by Excalibur. A pilot installation of liquid-pressure amplification at the airport’s Olympic House was completed two years earlier, which demonstrated a reduction in power consumption of over 30%.
Liquid-pressure amplification enables compressor discharge pressure to be drastically reduced, almost doubling chiller efficiency at low ambient temperatures.
The most efficient compressor discharge pressure depends on compressor loading and ambient temperature. Inverter control of condenser fans compensates for these conditions to maintain optimum efficiency.Several chillers were using R22. As installation work required all refrigerant to be removed from the chillers, R22 was replaced with R422d at little extra cost.
Andy Sheriden, services facilities manager at Manchester Airport, said, ‘The projects delivered savings as quoted and also helped relife aging equipment. It was seen as a great success, so much so that we are about to embark upon a second phase during 2010.'
