| Guideway
Heating System
Dallas-Fort
Worth International Airport has selected Bombardier in Pittsburgh,
PA, to be the contractor / manufacturer of an Automated People
Mover System to be installed at the airport. When completed,
the People Mover System will be the largest such system in
the world. This project is part of a $1 Billion expansion
of the DFW Airport, which is ranked as the fifth busiest airport
in the world, handling over 60 million passengers per year.
The automated
vehicles manufactured by Bombardier use rubber tires, which
require positive traction year round. Bombardier selected
the Integrated Consultants & Engineers, Inc. led team
to provide consulting engineering services in order to select
an optimal in-slab ice / snow prevention (melting) system
for the project. Initially, several different heating options
were reviewed and compared to the previously used (and costly)
electric resistance heating systems comprised of embedded
wire or conduit.
A hot
water (hydronic) heating system was finally selected, since
it will save DFW Airport substantial operating costs and provide
more reliability. There are two guideways at the site, each
with a total length of 24,000 feet for a total of 48,000 feet
of guideway or over nine miles of concrete guideways, linking
airport facilities. The proposed $9 million project is comprised
of seven hydronic zones, utilizing seven electric 850 kW hot
water boilers.
Primary
and Secondary piping systems are being designed to distribute
hot water to cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) tubing which
is embedded in the concrete guideway slabs. The slab temperature
will be maintained above 32 F to prevent the forming of ice
or snow on the guideway to allow year round operation of the
People Mover System. An automatic temperature control system
is being designed to properly control each hydronic zone and
which will provide for staggered "firing" of the
various electric boilers in order to minimize the overall
peak demand in the electrical system; thereby significantly
reducing the electric costs paid by the owner.
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