Monodraught brings natural lighting and ventilation to redevelopment of East Midlands Airport
As part of the redevelopment of East Midlands Airport, Monodraught Windcatchers provide energy-free natural ventilation of the Western Pier and gate lounge.
As part of the £8 million redevelopment of East Midlands Airport at Nottingham, Monodraught natural-ventilation and natural-lighting systems are being exploited as part of the airport’s commitment to being carbon neutral by 2012. It is believed that this is the first major airport in the UK to employ energy-free natural ventilation as a building-services strategy to eliminate the need for air conditioning in most areas. Windcatcher units provide natural ventilation, and SunPipe natural daylight units eliminate the need for electric lighting during the day. Among the new buildings are the Western Pier, a raised passenger walkway and gate lounge serving six aircraft stands, and a single-storey transport interchange next to the arrivals area of the main terminal building. The Western Pier consists of a 150 m-long raised footbridge and a 1300 m2 lounge. It is fitted with 18 top-down Windcatcher systems to provide natural ventilation during the day and free cooling overnight. David Howell, head of engineering at the airport, explains why the decision to specify Monodraught Windcatchers was taken in the early stages of the project. ‘Airport passenger buildings often suffer from stuffiness due to inadequate provision for the input of fresh air, so Monodraught’s analysis of our ventilation requirements was an important first step. It included looking at average external wind speed, determining the heat gains that had to be dissipated from each of the buildings and calculating the ventilation rates for each of the three areas to achieve the required air changes per hour. Their input proved invaluable and has ensured that the Windcatcher installation provides East Midlands Airport with a year-round balanced-ventilation strategy that is energy free and much healthier.’ The Windcatchers on the roof bring wind-driven fresh air into the building through external louvres, with the flow rate controlled by dampers. Warm, stale air in the building rises and is expelled to atmosphere by the same Windcatchers. The Windcatcher system is controlled automatically using signals from temperature sensors that are fed to a control panel, which controls the opening and closing of dampers. The transport interchange is designed to create the impression of a central street and is naturally light by three Sunpipes. Monodraught undertook the turnkey contract to install the Windcatcher and Sunpipe systems, taking 25 weeks for the Western Pier and 19 weeks for the transport interchange.
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