A customised approach can yield superior solutions at a lower overall cost says Joe Wieckowski (below), general sales manager of Eaton-Williams Air Conditioning
LOW cost plant and machinery are always attractive to a budget-conscious plant or facilities manager but do not necessarily deliver the most effective solution, especially if the application is critical.

Looking at maintaining the correct conditions and selecting the appropriate kit to ensure the process or function is sustained will, in the long term, reap dividends for many projects; customisation can be the most appropriate insurance policy.

Such an approach was adopted by the London Eye, a high profile project in more than one sense. The Eye is now one of London's major attractions but only generates revenue as long as the wheel is turning.

Ensuring the paying public got a stimulating experience which could lead to another visit or recommendation was a major factor in the design criteria. To this end, visibility was paramount. If the capsules misted up visitors would be unlikely to return for further visits and the Eye wouldn't survive as a must-do attraction for visitors to London.

Edenaire developed packaged units to meet the design criteria for the summer which was 35°C, 45%RH ambient to maintain the internal ambient 21°C, 50% RH. In winter there were two ambient conditions, the normal -4°C plus an additional severe condition of 5°C, 85%RH to cope with cold wet days and prevent condensation build up. Maintaining the winter internal condition of 16°C, 50%RH requires an unusually high latent cooling system. On top of that each of the 32 capsules offered little space to work with, access to a limited power supply and exposed to all that the weather can deliver. If that wasn't enough, the design solution had to factor in carrying passengers and having doors flung open every 30 minutes.

The Eden Project is another example. It required vast areas to be conditioned with tempered fresh air to maintain its exotic plants in an environment as close to nature as possible. Moducel custom built ahus exactly to fit the project's requirements which included small footprints and units capacities varying from 2.5m3/s to 7.7m3/s. Standard units would not have been able to provide the operating capacities or cope with the demands of continuous operation.

These applications could not have been addressed using off-the-shelf units, not because there's anything wrong with standard products available, they are just not designed to cope with exacting performance specifications or space and weight limitations required.

The vast majority of air conditioning applications, packaged systems such as in-wall units, split systems and ceiling cassettes can do the job more than adequately. More than 70% of projects involving comfort cooling and humidification are addressed using off-the-shelf products.

A large proportion of applications typically provide comfortable working conditions. Optional heat pumps enable units to provide cooling and heating while low temperature ceiling cassettes provide dual functionality delivering air conditioning as well as flexible temperature control (temperatures range between 8°C-21°C) and can be found in food processing, preparation environments and many supermarkets.

Specialised applications require close and/or precision control which simply cannot be achieved using standard units. Computing, telecommunications and pharmaceutical industries as well as more specialised applications such as flight simulators for the aeronautical industry are typical examples of where the requirement is for consistent and continuous cooling in unusual operating conditions.

It is incorrectly assumed that selecting a customised solution is a lengthy and costly option when in fact it can be cost effective and produce the desired result first time. In such applications there is no room for error. Prototypes are built and rigorously tested before going into production and therefore any system tailored for a specific application has to be right first time.



As the demand for intelligent buildings and greater control of working environments continues to grow, this will in turn drive the need for customised solutions and give rise to new markets and applications. The increase in usage and development of MRI scanners is an example of emerging technologies dependent on a customised approach. Scanners are used for long periods and generate vast amounts of heat. They need to be cooled to prevent overheating and to protect the patient inside. Because of the space, weight constraints and varying heat loads a specialist cooling unit was the only feasible solution.

This has led to a revolution in scanning technologies and applications and opened up opportunities in the food and security industries. Scanners are widely used to detect food contaminants in food products and these too require precision cooling which no standard unit can provide.

Refurbishment projects can also benefit from a customised approach. High rise buildings typical of the '60s, '70s and '80s were heated and cooled using in-wall units. At the time these were relatively inexpensive, easy to maintain and provided localised control of the environment. Many of these buildings are now being refurbished but as the units are no longer manufactured, commercial property owners look to the air conditioning industry to design a solution that is more cost-effective than replacing the fabric of the building.

Standard units are abundant and readily accessible ex-stock, but there will always be applications where they will not be able to meet the spec and deliver the required level of cooling. The net effect is that substantial numbers and types of relatively inefficient HVAC systems are installed every year. If a customised solution is properly considered within the context of the building's requirements it could help improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Eaton-Williams T: 01782 599995