After a five-year and $3.6 billion program to transform and update the facilities, Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 2, “The Queen’s Terminal,” was re-opened to passengers in 2014. The project included the construction of a brand new cooling station to provide air conditioning for the estimated 20 million passengers a year.
In order to provide sufficient air conditioning for terminal 2A, the new cooling station required a system to regulate and control the flow of chilled water. Working in collaboration with a building management company, Bell Flow Systems, a leading UK distributor of flow meters commissioned the airport’s flow metering solution.
Due to the proposed external location at the top of the cooling station, the solution required flow meters that could not only withstand the demands of the environment but also have a 4-20mA output for the use of remote mount displays. With pipe sizes of 300mm, the cooling station also required flow meters with industrial proportions.
The Seametrics EX250 hot tap insertion electromagnetic flow meters were chosen for this project. The chosen model from Seametrics was manufactured using a 316 stainless steel body with an IP67 rating in order to endure a variety of temperature, pressure and environmental conditions. On account of its electromagnetic technology there are no moving parts within the flow meter, therefore there is no mechanical wear which ensures a long and service-free life. The Seametrics EX250 flow meter also includes an isolation valve, allowing removal without the need to shut down the cooling station, which was one of the key criteria for a fully operational international airport where downtime is just not an option.
Bell Flow Systems commissioned twelve Seametrics EX250 flow meters and partnered these with twelve remote panel displays to be used to regulate and control the water flow. Three flanged electromagnetic flow meters were also included in the project and are used to control the main pumps of the cooling station.
After program refinement and configuration to enable the products to work together as a complete system, terminal 2A at Heathrow Airport now has the ability to control and regulate the cooling of the terminal, and did so in time for their 2014 re-opening.
Bell Flow Systems has been involved with many aspects of metering and energy monitoring at all Heathrow terminals for many years. Having extensive product knowledge and a broad range of metering and instrumentation products at their disposal provides an unbeatable combination for building management and construction companies.
Seametrics is committed to providing low cost, low maintenance, high accuracy, and simple installation with our EX hot-tap flow meters, saving you TIME, MONEY, and CONSERVING RESOURCES.