Carrier helps a central London hotel upgrade its HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system quickly and seamlessly with an airlift delivery of two new AquaSnap® chillers
Carrier ensured a fast and efficient replacement of existing chillers with heavyduty lift helicopter delivery of two new AquaSnap® chillers to the rooftop of the London Hilton Metropole Hotel.
Customer: Hilton Metropole Hotel
Location: London, UK
Equipment running since: December 2014
Project
Carrier co-ordinated delivery of two new chillers to the Hilton Metropole Hotel with the help of a specialist lift helicopter, ensuring the replacement chillers were installed and operational quickly. Following a detailed health and safety assessment, which required co-ordination of aviation approvals for flights over central London, the company managed the decommissioning and removal of the two existing chillers from the building’s rooftop, and their replacement by the new Carrier AquaSnap® chillers. The entire operation was safely completed in less than fifteen minutes.
Background
The original plan was to use a heavy duty crane to remove two existing R22 refrigerant-based chillers from the rooftop of the Hilton Metropole Hotel, and replace them with two new high efficiency Carrier AquaSnap units, with a combined cooling capacity of just over 1MW.
However, there were concerns about the size of the crane required and the load bearing limits of the road, which passes over the London Underground’s Central Line. The initial plan would also have required the closure of Edgware Road, a main route into the heart of London, which would have taken many months to arrange and been disruptive for the neighborhood.
Under European Union legislation, the use of R22 refrigerant for topping up systems was banned from the end of 2014. With the clock ticking towards the final phase out, Carrier contracted Helirig and their Swiss helicopter partners to lift the old plant from the hotel’s rooftop and position the new chillers in place. Carrier carried out a detailed risk assessment to consider all potential risks involved with such a maneuver, and actions were taken to eliminate them or manage them to protect people and properties. Carrier also ensured all the necessary airspace permissions were obtained and the airlift went ahead as planned.
Les Cordery, Facilities Manager of the Hilton Metropole Hotel, said: “I am delighted at the speed and professionalism with which Carrier carried out the installation, and with no disruption to traffic or disturbance to our surrounding residents. We had been prepared for the project to take many months, since closing part of the busy Edgware Road to traffic isn’t an easy thing to arrange. However, Carrier’s innovative thinking and project management expertise provided an ideal solution and an unexpectedly timely result for the hotel.”
Carrier’s support for the installation is ongoing, with the company providing continuing service and maintenance for the chillers, ensuring optimum comfort conditions for hotel residents and efficient performance and the lowest possible running costs for the end user.
Key Advantages
- Fast and safe removal of existing chillers from building roof and delivery of new chillers
- HVAC plant downtime minimised, ensuring service was maintained to hotel guests and revenue protected
- No requirement to apply for road closures and project site permits for heavy-duty cranes
- No disruption to traffic or the neighbourhood linked to delivery and installation
Technologies
2 x Carrier 30RB 522 AquaSnap® Air-Cooled liquid Chillers
Challenges and Solutions
The project presented a number of specific challenges and the resulting solution succeeded in:
- Seamless installation: no disruption of service to the hotel;
- Innovative, safe and fast delivery via air: no delays due to road closure permit request process;
- Optimal security: no safety concerns about the load bearing capability of surrounding roads.
