16.000 tonnes air mail per year
8 million passengers in 2001
400 departures and arrivals per day
2 Grasso Chillers
| Operator |
Flughafen Stuttgart GmbH (FSG) |
| Project work |
IGH Ingenieurges. Höpfner mbH |
| Plant construction |
Stangl AG |
| Supplier of chiller |
Grasso GmbH Refrigeration Technology |
| Capacity |
2.300 kW (1.500 kW + 800 kW) |
| Refrigerant |
Ammonia, NH3 |
| Coolant |
20% Ethyleneglycol |
The terminals of modern airports are not only made for the purpose of passenger and goods clearance, they are also packed with a huge variety of shops and all kinds of restaurants. For buildings of this magnitude, it is essential to have an effective air conditioning system.
Grasso Chillers...
Airport Stuttgart‘s new terminal,
equipped with ammonia air conditioning
As the result of intensive consultations the project
development team decided to proceed with highly
efficient chillers which operate with the environmentally friendly ammonia as the refrigerant.
Mr. Weller, manager of building service engineering (Flughafen Stuttgart GmbH, FSG) said: “In the end, the cost effective analysis greatly outweighed the safety concerns that we may have had at the beginning”. Most of the safety concerns were based on the characteristic that high concentrations of ammonia were toxic. However, it is often forgotten that a very small amount of ammonia has a typical smell which cautions all
operatives about a possible leakage. Moreover, the perspective of the actual discussions regarding the greenhouse effect and climatic changes means that the sustainability must be checked for each single project. Mr. Weller explained: “Last, but not least, the decision to go for ammonia is a decision for the future. We, therefore, avoid any further discussions regarding the choice of this air conditioning system.”
He is supported by his colleague, Mr. Fuchs (also employee of FSG): ”The spirit of being environmentally friendly combined with high efficiencies are the deciding factors for providing this solution” Grasso GmbH
Refrigeration Technology, Berlin, supply the chillers which can be seen as the heart of the AC system. The chillers are operating in pure ice making mode and are run in conjunction with the existing refrigeration systems. Optimal efficiencies are reached especially in periods with low cooling requirement.
The Berlin based company Grasso GmbH Refrigeration Technology, has provided tailor made solutions for AC systems for many years, all using environmentally friendly refrigerants. It is not surprising that a solution was found for the system at Stuttgart airport which has condensers which can realize an incredibly low
temperature difference of 1K making optimal
performance possible. In accordance to the customer’s requirements, all specified capacity data was proven on Grasso’s test bed.
Thomas Spänich, Product Manager for Grasso chillers, supervised the test run:
“It is always a very exciting moment when such big chillers are started up for the first time after a long period of design and construction. The chillers have been completely tested in the presence of the customers engineers. I wish that more operators would witness the test
procedure because it creates reliance and can be carried out much more easily than later when the chillers have reached their destination in the machine room.” Due to the fact that the performance during the test was 100% successful, the chillers will soon (expected in 2004) demonstrate their ability to passengers and airport staff in terminal no. 3.
Even in the event of more discussions about future refrigerants, the operators of the airport of Stuttgart can be sure, that they and their new AC-System will
definitely not be effected.