Westfeild Shopping Centre Control System

Job Name:
Westfeild Shopping Centre Control System

Mapx:
489

Mapy:
680

Primaryphoto:

Current image JPEG image — 140 KB

Currently rendered sizes:

original 1280x960 1.333

smallbox 68x68 1.000

wide 594x280 2.121

normal 453x280 1.618

normalsmall 143x88 1.625

related 160x78 2.051

slideshow 640x480 1.333

datasheet 1188x560 2.121

front 172x116 1.483

searchimage 235x158 1.487

Primaryphoto ALT attribute:

Mapl:
3

Mapname:

Jobnumber:
0000

Summary:
A intelligent control system for an ETFE cushion roof

Briefdescription:
At the brand new Westfield White City Shopping development in East London, it was important to the client to achieve eye catching design as well as practicality. The North West Bus Interchange forms one of the main entrances to the shopping complex and needed a striking entrance feature. The client opted for an ETFE cushion canopy with a complex control system.

Fulldescription:

This inflation unit is the system’s crowning feature. An intelligent system designed to provide maximum information and flexibility for us and for the client, it is simply not in the same league as the more traditional ETFE inflation systems. Previously, a crude pressure switch would detect low pressure in the cushions and turn on all fans at maximum speed until optimum pressure was achieved. Naturally, the pressure would decrease over time and the fans would constantly repeat this process, draining energy and putting unnecessary strain on the equipment.

Our cutting edge approach uses the fans constantly to minimize the energy required and to continually monitor the cushion conditions. Multiple sensors, located throughout the structure, monitor the external environment and adjust the pressure of the cushions accordingly. For example, in high wind speed, pressure will be increased to compensate. With an inbuilt dehumidifier, the unit can anticipate snow by monitoring the surrounding temperature and humidity levels, increasing the internal air pressure and drying the air only when needed to prevent condensation within the pillows themselves.

As well as being pre-emptive, the inflation control system is more energy efficient than traditional methods. The fans themselves take energy to start/stop and where before, fans were turned on at maximum speed, the brushless duty fan now runs constantly; a duplicate system alternates taking turns to run allowing time to replace a faulty fan when required. The environment sensors now allow the system to run at lower pressures for most of the time with the increased pressure required for extreme weather conditions only called upon occasionally.

The whole system has the ability for remote diagnostics which can be accessed from anywhere in the world. We also have key alarm states that will automatically email the office and alert staff to potential problems on site, such as mass air leaking due to vandalism, and therefore guarantee quick reactions to possible problems. All this is installed in a very small control box with a footprint of only 3’ by 1’!

Featureproject:
No

Architectdesigner:

Architectdesignerurl:

Maincontractorcustomer:
Skanska McNicholas

Maincontractorcustomerurl:
http://www.skanska.co.uk

Client:
Westfield Shopping Towns

Clienturl:
http://www.westfield.com

Monthofcompletion:
10

Yearofcompletion:
2008

Marketsector:
Retail

Scopeofworks:
Design, Manufacture, Project Management, Install

Function:
Remote Diagnostics

Location:
London, UK

Linkedprojects:
The O2 Lighting System

Portraitphoto1:

Current image JPEG image — 163 KB

Currently rendered sizes:

original 850x1280 0.664

datasheet 278x560 0.496

medium 139x187 0.743

slideshow 640x480 1.333

large 139x280 0.496

square 139x139 1.000

small 68x93 0.731