Company overview:
The fountains at City Park in Bradford form the UK’s largest urban water feature, set within a six-acre public space at the heart of the city. At its centre is a spectacular mirror pool surrounded by over 100 fountains, including the landmark 100ft high water jet that can be seen across the city. The fountains are computer-controlled to create dynamic displays with mist, light, and movement that change throughout the day, transforming the square into a lively and engaging space for relaxation, events, and community gatherings.
Situation:
Bradford City Council were preparing for their year as UK City of Culture. Some of the big events planned were to take place at the City Park and feature the fountains. The award-winning park is such a focal point for the city, the council team wanted to make sure their ageing compressed air system wouldn’t ruin the show.
Task:
PPS were asked to assess the compressed air system demand and specify a reliable option to replace their current compressor.
Action:
A site survey and data log was carried out by PPS to fully understand what the team at Bradford Council would need. The data log showed that they could reduce the size of the compressor they were using and still meet the demand of the fountains, their old compressor was a 30kW machine.
After considering the current demand, the plans for the UK City of Culture year and future demands for the site, it was decided that an Atlas Copco GA22 FLX dual speed air compressor would be perfectly suited for the application.
Dropping from a 30kW to a 22kW air compressor would unlock significant energy savings for the council. Added to this was the move from a fixed speed compressor to a dual speed compressor, with the potential to save a further 20% in energy. A dual-speed compressor operates at two speeds, one for maximum capacity and a minimum speed to reduce energy consumption during unload. As a result, it is much more efficient than a fixed-speed, as it experiences lower transient and blow-off losses.
PPS carried out the full installation, which included navigating the tricky access to the plant room.
Results:
-
Energy saving
Reducing the kW size of the compressor and moving to a dual speed machine has helped to reduce the energy usage -
A reliable solution
Bradford City Council can be confident their events will go smoothly as Atlas Copco compressors are renowned for their reliability due to rigorous testing and machine innovations -
Future demand covered
By assessing the current compressed air demand with a data log, the council can be sure that their choice of compressor will cover their future event plans