News Release
17 January 2017
Unique ultra-low sound air conditioning solution
for prestigious London development
Cool-Therm has supplied a unique
ultra-low sound, high efficiency
1.8MW air conditioning solution for
Abell and Cleland, a prestigious
development of luxury apartments
in the heart of Westminster.
The development, by Berkeley
Group, includes a state-of-the-art
gym, pool, sauna facilities and business suite. To meet high sustainability
standards, the buildings are designed to achieve Level 4 of the Code for
Sustainable Homes, the national UK standard for sustainable new homes.
Outstanding energy efficiency is achieved through the use of a Combined
Heat and Power (CHP) system, heat recovery ventilation, high levels of
insulation and airtightness, and use of LED lighting.
High efficiency air
conditioning is provided
by two custom-designed
Turbomiser chillers,
selected for their low
carbon cooling and
exceptionally quiet
operation in a new and
unique configuration.
The two buildings, Abell
House and Cleland House,
are located opposite one
another on John Islip Street,
in central London. The air
conditioning plant is located
in Cleland House, serving
both buildings via pipework
in a service tunnel under
the main road.
The specification for the
project required very low
sound limits, due to its
luxury residential nature. Air
conditioning plant also had
to be accommodated in restricted space, in order to maximise floor space for
occupation.
Cool-Therm worked closely with M&E contractor Briggs and Forrester on a
new design for the Turbomiser chillers to achieve the space and sound
objectives. To reduce the chiller footprint, all associated plant is
accommodated on a structural frame beneath the chiller, containing isolation
valves, trace heating, sequence controls, cable tray, controls, BMS interface
and connecting pipework.
Steve Soffe, Cool-Therm’s southern area manager, said: “The initial proposal
was for a screw-based chiller solution with cooling towers. However, Briggs
and Forrester worked with Berkeley to propose an alternative design using
fully packaged Turbomiser chillers, which freed up space for additional
residential capacity, as well as delivering excellent sound and efficiency.
These were major pluses and highly attractive for the developer.”
The sound specification for the project, by consultant AECOM, required a
challenging limit of 51dBA at 10m. The original Turbomiser chillers in standard
format were rated at 63dBA at 10m. Achieving the 12dBA reduction required
re-engineering the conventional Turbomiser design.
Three additional sound attenuation measures were applied to the already low
noise Turbocor-based chiller. The most substantial and visually striking is the
addition of acoustic attenuation towers to both sides of each condenser fan,
making an upper array of 16 towers per chiller.
Measuring 1.6m high and around 1m in diameter, each acoustic tower is lined
with lead damping material and a perforated liner to absorb sound. Unusually, the
condenser fan is positioned at the mid-point within the tower, providing
attenuation at both air inlet and discharge sides.
A bull-nosed
column in the
tower further
reduces
turbulence, while
the fans
themselves are
sickle-bladed low
noise units,
which help to
streamline airflow
and again reduce
sound.
The Turbocor compressors are housed in acoustic enclosures, reducing
sound from this source by some 6-7dBA. Finally, refrigerant discharge lines
from compressors to condenser are lined with lead insulation, reducing
vibration and noise further.
Rob Young, Cool-Therm director, said: “The design takes a multi-element
approach to both saving space and reducing sound. Our calculations were
that it would achieve the required 51dBA at 10m, and this was confirmed in
performance tests at Geoclima’s laboratory, with representatives of the
contractor and consultant in attendance.”
David Gilbert, MEP manager, Berkeley Homes Central London, said: “The
demanding requirements of the project required a collaborative and team
approach. The solution meets the brief in terms of efficiency, space
constraints and sound characteristics, as well as delivering the required
comfort conditions for building occupants.”
Following experience gained in the project, Cool-Therm is now developing an
ultra-low noise version of the Turbomiser chiller available as a standard
option. Equipped with a suite of sound attenuation technologies, it will offer
what is claimed to be the lowest sound output for any commercially chiller on
the market.
Equipped with this Hush Technology®, the new ultra-quite Turbomiser is
ideally suited for use in applications that require very low sound levels, such
as premium city centre residential applications, hospitals, libraries and
universities.
ENDS
Issued by:
Andrew Bailey
Lingfield Public Relations
9 Gleave Close
East Grinstead
West Sussex
RH19 3XD
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 01342 312 215
Mob: 07925 187 647
On behalf of:
Cool-Therm (UK) Ltd
Unit 5 Trubody's Yard,
121 London Rd,
Bridgeyate
Bristol,
BS30 5NA
Tel: 0117 9610006
Fax : 0117 9478642
Email: [email protected]