Newport Velodrome on track for economic heating

The Wales National Velodrome in Newport, Gwent, is an Olympic standard indoor cycle track, equipped to rival the best facilities in the world.

On international race days, the atmosphere is electric. But even when the cycle track is not being used, or there are very few spectators, the arena remains comfortably warm, thanks to a Nor-Ray-Vac continuous radiant tube heating system from AmbiRad.

The Newport International Sports Village includes the Newport Football and Athletics Stadium, a tennis centre, squash and astro-turf facilities as well as the velodrome, and in January 2006 a new competition swimming pool will open. The main cycling arena also has twelve badminton courts in the centre of the track, so a flexible, economical system that could heat by zone when necessary was required.

The heating system was designed and built for Newport City Council by the Cardiff office of Lorne Stewart, engineering contractors. The original specification requested radiant tube heating to provide background heat in the 7,500m2 open arena and seating area, at a constant 18°C and 20°C respectively. One pre-requisite of the heating system was that it should be capable of preventing the formation of condensation on the underside of the roof. It also had to be flued through the side walls to avoid roof penetrations.

Over the steeply banked track and badminton courts of the main arena, a total of 16 Nor-Ray-Vac burners, each with an output of 46kW, were installed at 10m above floor level. The seating area is warmed by three 35kW AmbiRad linear radiant tubes.

Radiant offers many benefits in sports hall environments. It warms up rapidly and athletes and spectators feel warm within minutes, and little fuel is consumed in bringing the arena up to comfort temperature. Radiant heating works like the sun – its infra-red rays warm only people and objects in their path, but not the surrounding air. Again, no fuel is wasted. By taking the chill off the objects it warms, radiant also prevents condensation forming.

Continuous radiant tube and linear radiant tube heating can be zoned so that only the areas being used need be heated directly. This allows for optimum economy of operation, without compromising comfort. In the case of the Velodrome Centre, the heating has five separately controlled zones – one for the seating/spectator area and four for the track. This enables just one court to be heated, if that is the only section of the arena being used.

It was also a requirement that the system should be very quiet. Fans, housed in acoustic enclosures, were positioned at either end of the building. The result is very quiet operation.

Neil Sargeant, manager of the Wales National Velodrome, comments: “The heating system is an excellent support to the quality of our facilities, making the experience of visitors and athletes a comfortable one. It is highly effective, quick and quiet to operate and very economical to run.”

Web: www.ambirad.co.uk