MRV5 Just the Ticket at Railway Station
MRV5 Just the Ticket at Railway Station
Sixteen Haier MRV 5 air conditioning units have been installed at Prague’s main railway station – one of the most prestigious buildings in the capital of the Czech Republic. The largest and most important railway station in the country, the building is a significant monument to Art Nouveau in the Czech capital and also houses a host of shops and restaurants to cater for the demands of travellers. Dominating the station is the historic cupola viewed as one of Prague’s most famous landmarks.
Keeping visitors warm in the winter has been a challenge for station authorities in recent years as the old water-based heating system was no longer working efficiently and needed replacing. In the winter cold air coming in from the outside at the station entrances was having an effect on the comfort of passengers. Outdoor temperatures would regularly drop as low as -8°C during the colder months.
Working closely with the station authorities, Haier and its Czech Republic distributor Sokra came up with a design for a new heating system which would keep travellers warm from September to May when the weather was at its coolest. In a major overhaul of the heating system 29 Frico air curtains supplied by Systemair were installed at entrances to the station.
"It proved to be quite a challenge. The historic nature of the building meant that the distances between the outdoor air conditioning units and the air curtains were very long – in one instance more than 200 meters.
“This led to some very long pipe runs but working to the maximum dimensions for each indoor unit we managed to devise a solution that would a allow passengers entering the station to benefit from warm air even when conditions outside were below zero. The design of Haier’s MRV 5 system is flexible enough to handle pipe runs of this length.”
These air curtains were linked to the 16 Haier MRV 5 air conditioning units which ensured that warm air would flow continuously throughout the station concourses.
Marek Begeni, Sokra’s Czech Republic Sales Director, designed the new heating system alongside the specifying team to create the integrated system. He explained: “It proved to be quite a challenge. The historic nature of the building meant that the distances between the outdoor air conditioning units and the air curtains were very long – in one instance more than 200 meters.
“This led to some very long pipe runs but working to the maximum dimensions for each indoor unit we managed to devise a solution that would a allow passengers entering the station to benefit from warm air even when conditions outside were below zero. The design of Haier’s MRV 5 system is flexible enough to handle pipe runs of this length.”
Low noise MRV offers all the benefits you would expect in an advanced VRF system – including constant heating, total control over the system, easy installation and superb energy efficiencies. As well as railway stations it is also ideal for offices, shops, hotels, health and education facilities.
MRV’s Wi-Fi connected smart technology gives the user the flexibility and convenience of having complete control of the air conditioning system wherever they are. The big advantage of a single Haier control system in operation at the station is that it is easy to keep an eye on the performance 24 hours a day.
With the station in the heart of the historic city a great deal of careful planning had to take place to ensure that the outdoor air conditioning units did not look out of place.
Marek Begeni said: “The right place was eventually found without appearing to be too intrusive.”
The new heating system minimalises heat loss and will lead to significant energy savings. The new air curtains are connected via DX coils and Haier AHU kits to the MRV 5 outdoor units. There is a total heating capacity of more than 800kW.
In the second stage of the project due to start later this year there are plans to install more Haier MRV 5 units linked to air curtains at the station subway entrances and the opening to the historic cupola.
Marek Begeni added: “The customer is delighted with the new heating system. With hot air now blowing into the entrances of the building at 45°C, traveller's are now more comfortable, and in an environment that such a beautiful building deserves. I am confident that it will make a real difference at the station.”
