Case Study: Flow Meters Flying High at Heathrow Airport

After a five-year and £2.3billion program to transform and update the facilities, Heathrow Airport’s terminal 2 re-opened to passengers on the 4th June this year. The project included the construction of a brand new cooling station to provide air conditioning for the estimated 20 million passengers a year.

In order to provide sufficient air conditioning for terminal 2A, the new cooling station required a system to regulate and control the flow of chilled water. Working in collaboration with a building management company, we commissioned the airports flow metering solution.

Heathrow Case Study

Due to the proposed external location at the top of the cooling station, the solution required flow meters that could not only withstand the demands of the environment but also have a 4-20mA output for the use of remote mount displays. With pipe sizes of 300mm, the cooling station also required flow meters with industrial proportions.

Heathrow Case Study T2
The EX201 hot tap insertion electromagnetic flow meters were chosen for this project. The model selected was manufactured from 316 stainless steel body with an IP67 rating in order to endure a variety of temperature, pressure and environmental conditions. On account of its electromagnetic technology there are no moving parts within the flow meter, therefore, no mechanical wear, this ensures a long and service free life. The EX201 flow meter also includes an isolation valve, allowing hot tap removal without the need to shut down the cooling station, which was one of the key criteria for a fully operational international airport where downtime is just not acceptable.
Heathrow Case Study - T2

We commissioned twelve EX201 flow meters and partnered these with twelve Cortex XDF12 remote panel displays to be used to regulate and control the water flow. Several of the latest M2000 electromagnetic flow meters from Badger Meter were also included in the project and are used to control the main pumps of the cooling station.

After program refinement and configuration to enable the products to work together as a complete system, terminal 2A at Heathrow Airport now has the ability to control and regulate the cooling of the terminal in time for their re-opening.

We have been involved with many aspects of metering & energy monitoring at all Heathrow terminals for many years. Having extensive product knowledge and a broad range of metering & instrumentation products at their disposal this provides an unbeatable combination for building management and construction companies.