Airedale updates cooling for the Tower of London
Airedale International was part of a complex project team delivering comfort cooling as part of a major refurbishment programme at the Tower of London. The company was selected by principal contractor EV Bullen to supply two 237 kW Ultima air-cooled twin-circuit compact chillers to deliver comfort cooling.
The nature of the building’s design and fabric required Airedale to reduce the footprint of each chiller by 75 mm so they could be moved into position through existing structural openings without damaging the building’s structure. Reducing the dimensions of the chillers enabled fully assembled and tested units to be delivered to site — cutting time and cost in assembly and commissioning, and ensuring a smooth transition to the new cooling plant.
To maximise efficiency, four stages of cooling are available, enabling the units to closely match cooling demand and minimise energy consumption. To maintain acceptable sound levels, the compressor enclosure is lined with 40 mm of acoustic material. The units were commissioned on site by Airedale engineers, who also provided training.
By convening the project team very early on in the design stage and enabling effective communication between the critical stakeholders at every stage of the project, any potential risks typically associated with a scheme of this scale, involving multiple capital-plant suppliers, were pre-empted and addressed in advance.
