Fujitsu's largest cassette and wall-mounted split air conditioning installation has been completed by EOC Services for Channel Tunnel Rail Link at St Pancras, London. Over 100 units have been installed in a 10,800m2 office constructed by Portakabin using its Duplex modular system. The fully air conditioned building, which is four storey's high, represents Portakabin's largest project to date and provides office accommodation for 900 staff.

The mainly cassette air conditioners were supplied by Air Conditioning Distribution Ltd and their slim dimensions proved imperative in their specification. As Derek Hill, Managing Director of EOC Services explained, "We were extremely limited on ceiling void space with only 250mm and sometimes less available to us, so were looking for the slimmest cassette available. Air Conditioning Distribution showed us the Slender Fit range that has a unique adjustable body. The mechanism has been designed to allow the position of the cassette to be adjusted relative to the grille, which effectively means that the body height can be reduced by 35mm. Considering the power output of the units, their physical size is unusually compact and with the addition of the Slender Fit capability no other manufacturer could compete."

Working areas are a mix of open-plan and cellular offices and in all cases are being served by heat pump models, as the building will be heavily dependent on the air conditioners for both cooling and heating. The only exception being the telecommunications room where the switchgear generates a high heat load, so heating the room is not a factor.

AUY45R(3) and 44 AUY54R(3) three-phase units have been installed throughout the building with wall units mainly serving the cellular offices. The air conditioners benefit from the newly developed larger 'Caliberturbo' fan that has reduced operating noise by 16 per cent, making them the quietest air conditioners available. In addition, the four-way air distribution system has been improved by incorporating larger air flaps to extend airflow throughout the room. A further innovation has been the introduction of the seven-day programmable timer. This new development, which has long been demanded by the industry, allows different time programmes, temperatures, airflow direction, and fan speeds to be pre-programmed for each day of the week, providing the end-user with an exceptional standard of personal control.

The installation was carried out over a three-month period and followed the erection of the Duplex modules. EOC streamlined the installation procedure by installing the cassettes and internal pipework prior to the ceiling grid being fitted. Screened cabling was employed to negate any possible interference from the locally installed fire alarm system.

In keeping with its practice of offering the installation contractor the largest range of air conditioning equipment, the Fujitsu Slender Fit is available in a range of cooling only and heat pump models.

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