Projects
HVAC ELEMENTS Carrying the project through to completion , Thembakele Consulting Engineers ( TCE ) was appointed to handle and manage the remaining elements , including the mechanical ( HVAC ).
TCE were appointed as the civil , structural , mechanical and electrical engineers from the outset of this project . In the execution of the project , this multi-disciplined professional engineering practise was responsible for all engineering functions of the works .
TCE ’ s civil engineers designed and oversaw the bulk earthworks , layerworks , foundations and construction of the various buildings , stormwater management and drainage systems of the project . Their structural engineers dealt with the structures and finishes , whilst their mechanical and electrical engineers added the “ unseen ” value elements of the works .
Achieving the best balance between cost of operation , cost of installation , future development and maintenance were all considerations given to the final design layout applied .
The majority of the air-condition installation comprised various unitaries in the form of split wall units , cassette units and some hideaways . This was to accommodate the numerous small areas and offices and also the number of occupants in these areas at any time .
Ideally , TCE would have liked to see an installation of this type move more towards the variable refrigerant flow ( VRF ) technology , however , for one unit at a time being used , it would be economically unsound . TCE therefore had to choose a solution that would be balanced between practicality and utilisation .
What influenced the development and the design of the HVAC system in the gymnasium was the fact that this area could be utilised for a basketaball game with 150 spectators , or could be utilised for a seven-a-side hockey game with only 40 spectators .
Dealing with this differential in heat load , and the load to accommodate the return air temperature , these parameters proved suitable for a packaged VRF system that was installed with a multi-stage cooling function and VRF control of capacity load-gain from 10 % to 110 % ( the system can actually utilise upto 110 % of the calculated load in the event that the conditions of use require this ).
This project required an energy efficient rooftop unit and HC Heat Exchangers therefore supplied a hybrid rooftop unit , which includes the latest VRF technology . The unit was an excellent choice to meet the project demands of varied heat profiles coupled with accurate capacity controlenabled by the multiple variable speed compressors of the Hitachi VRF condensing units . The part load efficiency of these VRF units offer lifetime savings as they are designed to accommodate the varying load profiles found in our local and international markets .
© RACA Journal | Benjamin Brits © RACA Journal | Benjamin Brits © RACA Journal | Benjamin Brits
1 . All of the artworks / murals around the centre were conceptualised and completed by the local community .
2 . An independent high-performance ducted system that serves only the circuit area of the gymnasium . Here independent temperature sensors control the function of the unit .
3 . One of the grand stands – this overlooking the full sized football pitch .
1
2
3
www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I March 2021 31