Hundreds of AC drives produced by one of Europe"s leading manufacturers, Vacon Plc, will control the pumps and fans for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning plant that forms the core of the environmental management system for Britain"s major new airport complex, Terminal 5, scheduled to open in 2008.
"It is one of the most significant orders we have ever received," says Mr Barrie Keen, UK Sales Director for Vacon. When complete, the new Heathrow Airport Terminal T5 will have the capacity to handle around 30 million additional passengers a year. Vacon"s NX range of AC drives are being installed throughout the terminal complex and will be used to adjust the speed of pumps and fans that control conditions within the building to create and maintain a comfortable environment for all Terminal 5 customers and staff. By matching output to demand, the company"s drives are highly energy efficient. The company believes that typical payback times are less than a year.
Easily integrated
The company"s design concept allows for its NX range of AC drives to be easily integrated within building automation applications and coupled with fast installation times offers savings for such projects. The control of these AC drives will be via an Ethernet connection with direct connectivity to the BMS (Building Management System) allowing greater control and monitoring. Vacon has worked closely with system supplier Trend Controls so that its drives can be incorporated easily with the associated building management system.
Commonality of the control platform
The company"s drives are modular in design and, for the new terminal, one of the key factors in the choice of Vacon"s equipment was the commonality in the product range. Barrie Keen explains, “Regardless of the drive, the control platform is the same across the entire power range.” Vacon NX drives in the power range of 0.75 - 400 kW have been selected. This is the company"s standard drive, which has a wide application area and includes an automatic energy saving feature and is suitable for multi-motor applications. For the project, the software platform used for this product range met the particular specification required for the environmental control system. Keen notes, “We work closely with the system integrators and Tier One suppliers to ensure that our drives fully integrate with their equipment. By the time the first phase of Terminal 5 opens in three year"s time, several hundred Vacon units will have been installed.”
Terminal 5, including a core terminal building, aircraft stands, two satellites, rail station and a control tower, is the largest construction project in Europe. When complete, it will be one of the most advanced integrated passenger terminals in Europe and has been designed to exacting environmental standards.
"This contract clearly shows that building industry customers appreciate our solutions and ability to meet their needs," says Mr Heikki Hiltunen, Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Vacon Plc. "This contract further strengthens our position as a significant AC drives supplier for this market segment".
Vacon Group was founded in 1993 for one purpose only: to create, develop and provide AC drives worldwide. Ambitious to meet the most demanding needs of clients seeking top performance, easiness and reliability, Vacon offers AC drives in the power range of 0.25 kW...3 MW. In 2004, the Group revenues totalled EUR 128.6 million.
Vacon"s NX range of AC drives are modular with a commonality across the range. They are designed to be easily integrated within building automation applications and offer fast installation times. These are some of the reasons why these drives where chosen for Heathrow"s Terminal 5 project.
