Industry application
Schneider Electric drives energy savings at
British Airways
Compact solutions that deliver significant energy savings
PROJECT AT A GLANCE
Project Type
Industry
Location
British Airway’s training facilities, Cranebank
Number of Buildings
One
Applications
HVAC system
Equipment installed
Altivar 212 VSDs, Modicon M340 PLCs
CUSTOMER BENEFITS
• Compact solution
• Significant energy savings
• Streamlined controls strategy
• Improved reliability
To help drive down energy costs, British Airways has called upon the
expertise of the global specialists in energy management, Schneider
Electric, to supply variable speed drives and controllers for its condenser
fans.
Schneider Electric’s Altivar 212 Variable Speed Drives (VSDs) have been
used to control the condenser fans, which provide chilled water for the flight
training simulators and the building’s air conditioning system. Within the
application, there are nine flatbed condensing units, each of which has ten
fans. The VSDs have been installed to regulate each condensing unit.
The system didn’t have any form of drive in place prior to the installation of
the Altivar 212 VSDs and instead used direct-on-line starters, which caused
mechanical shocks throughout the system and led to early failures on the
fans and motors. With the use of individual Altivar 212 VSDs to control
multiple motors, British Airways has been provided with a compact solution
that delivers significant energy savings.
Make the most of your energy SM
Industry application
“The use of the Modicon M340 PLCs has provided greater accuracy
on the condensing units so they chill the water more effectively.
With substantial savings already made from the installation of this
technology coupled with the VSDs, there are more projects in
the pipeline to reduce energy usage elsewhere in the building’s
infrastructure.”
Stuart Foster, Schneider Electric
Stuart Foster from Schneider Electric comments:
“The potential energy savings from using one
drive to control multiple motors is vast. An
energy audit showed that in a 12 hour period with
the conventional set up, each conditioning unit
used approximately 127kW of power, but with
the VSD in place, each unit now uses only 35kW,
presenting a massive saving.”
With energy reduction high on British Airway’s
agenda, Schneider Electric has looked at
identifying further improvements the company
can make. Indeed, Schneider Electric has also
helped to refine the facility’s control strategy. By
utilising Modicon M340 PLCs, each condensing
unit operates independently as sensors gauge
the temperature of the unit and feedback to the
controller to vary the VSD speed and adjust the
speed accordingly, further aiding energy savings.
Schneider Electric’s Altivar 212 is specifically
designed for a building’s HVAC system and is
available from 0.75kW to 75kW, three phase
outputs. It significantly reduces energy within a
plant room by continuously monitoring required
power and varying the speed of the motors
accordingly.
For further information about Schneider Electric
please visit www.schneider-electric.com/uk or
call 0870 608 8 608
Schneider Electric Stafford Park 5, Telford, Shropshire, TF3 3BL, United Kingdom Tel: 0870 608 8 608
Fax: 0870 608 8 606 www.schneider-electric.com/uk
MAR 2012
© 2011 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved.
Stuart adds: “The use of the Modicon M340
PLCs has provided greater accuracy on the
condensing units so they chill the water more
effectively. With substantial savings already
made from the installation of this technology
coupled with the VSDs, there are more projects in
the pipeline to reduce energy usage elsewhere in
the building’s infrastructure.”