Bespoke chillers are just the ticket
14th June 2018
UK: Carrier is supplying bespoke chillers for London’s Elizabeth Line underground project to meet the stringent fire safety materials standards required for use underground.
The Elizabeth line will stretch more than 60 miles from Reading and Heathrow in the west through central tunnels across to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. When opened in December, it will stop at 41 stations, 10 newly built and 30 newly upgraded.
Fifteen customised Carrier AquaSnap air-cooled liquid chillers with Greenspeed Intelligence will provide cooling for the new Elizabeth Line stations at Tottenham Court Road, Paddington, Woolwich and Farringdon.
Carrier’s UK team worked closely with its chiller research and development centre in Montluel, France, to develop a solution that met the strict fire prevention requirements for the project, due to its underground location.
The bespoke chillers are equipped with zero halogen, low-smoke insulation and cables, and finished with specialist paint, all formulated to emit very limited smoke and/or fumes when exposed to heat or flame.
The changes to the standard factory specification required detailed research on alternative components and their application. For example, the requirement for zero halogen, low-smoke cables required a completely new chiller wiring loom.
Matthew Maleki, Carrier product manager who headed the compliance project, said: “The specification was challenging and there were no standard factory-produced chillers available that were compliant. Carrier’s technology specialists were very innovative, and we worked closely with them to develop a custom-made chiller that met all of the requirements, and provides efficient and reliable cooling with proven Carrier technology.”
Carrier’s AquaSnap 30RB chiller uses rotary scroll compressors running on refrigerant R410A. They feature a quiet-running AeroAcoustic fan system, and high-efficiency microchannel condenser coil technology.
Reliability was also a key issue. The chillers were built on a heavy-gauge galvanized steel frame with a range of security grilles and hail guard options. Safety features include low ambient head pressure control and high short circuit current rating.
