Equipped
to host a wide variety of events, the 25,000 seater Reebok stadium
is more than just a football ground. The extensive facilities
within its stands include a 32,000ft2 sports and exhibition
hall and a banqueting suite that can seat 500. There are also
46 executive boxes.
The stadium's
building management system incorporates over 20 Trend IQ intelligent
outstations of various sizes, these being linked together on
a 5km long data highway that passes round the whole ground.
Providing a total of some 800 input and output points, the IQ
outstations are responsible for close control and monitoring
of the stadium's HVAC plant, its car park lighting and a pair
of 500kVA diesel generators. The latter supply part of the ground's
electricity and are each fitted with an IQ241.
Apart from
on match days, when they always provide power for essential
services, the two generators are only operated if the cost of
running them is less than the prevailing price of mains electricity.
The economics are calculated on a daily basis and if they are
favourable the IQs are preset to switch on the generators (the
following day) and maintain their output at whatever level is
required. If a surplus of electricity is produced it is exported
to the grid.
Through
their close monitoring of the machines, the IQs furnish the
data needed to calculate generator efficiency, and to schedule
maintenance and fuel deliveries.
Other IQs
exercise total control over the dozen large air handlers that
supply tempered air to all areas in the main stands. They regulate
the units' DX cooling and gas fired heating to achieve a constant
discharge temperature, inhibiting their use if the outside temperature
is above or below certain limits.
In many
of the areas, including the executive boxes, local temperature
control is provided by split air conditioners, while in others
there are panel heaters. Here the system's role is to switch
the plant on and off in accordance with occupation. In the kitchens
and serveries it operates the heating and ventilation on the
basis of signals received from infra-red presence detectors.
At present,
the main operator interface on the system is a Trend ViewPoint
touch screen supervisor. Through this, actions such as setting
the occupation times for different areas are very simple to
achieve. One of the main reasons a ViewPoint was chosen was
that it would make the BMS accessible to many more of the stadium
staff - not just those familiar with computers.
Though many
football stadia in this country use simple, stand-alone building
controls, Bolton Wanderers were quick to appreciate that intelligent
controls, network-linked to form a centrally manageable system,
represented a cost-effective investment with significant benefits.
Trend technology was chosen because of its user friendliness,
flexibility and proven reliability. |
