RNAS Culdrose ‘Sea King’ heating solution

Cornwall-based RNAS Culdrose is one of the Royal Navy’s busiest aircraft bases, home to training and operations squadrons of Sea King and Merlin helicopters, and a large squadron of Hawk training aircraft. It also houses the main 771 Search and Rescue fleet which helped the people of Boscastle, when the town was hit by devastating floods in August 2004.

The hangars on the base are in constant use for maintenance and servicing. The buildings have proved hard to heat in the past since the doors have to be opened several times a day to manoeuvre aircraft in and out, and the site is exposed to fierce coastal winds. With no gas infrastructure, a steam heated radiant panel and oil fired warm air ducted radiant heating systems have been in use, but a more efficient alternative was sought.

Station energy manager John Gardner has overseen the progressive conversion of the base to more energy efficient heating, starting with the installation of mains gas. Four hangars each of 2,700m2, have since been equipped with Nor-Ray-Vac continuous radiant tube heating from AmbiRad, an economic form of heating ideally suited to aircraft hangar applications.

The radiant tube heaters are suspended at high level (approximately 7-10m from ground level) to ensure clearance above the aircraft. The heaters emit even, low intensity warmth throughout the building, eliminating cold spots and heat stratification. From start-up, or following a period when doors are open, comfort temperatures are achieved within minutes.

Radiant tube heating works like the sun, emitting infra-red rays that warm only people and objects in their path, but not the volume of air in the building. This makes radiant heating one of the most energy efficient space heating systems available.

To maximise the heaters’ efficiency, the Nor-Ray-Vac burners were equipped with an automatic shut-off facility which comes into operation when the doors remain open for longer than five minutes. Once doors are closed again, the heaters switch on and heat recovery follows rapidly.

John Gardner comments: “Our coastal location means the buildings are subject to strong winds off the sea and dampness. These problems have been eliminated in the hangars equipped with the Nor-Ray-Vac system. The heaters maintain comfortable temperatures for our personnel. They even take the early morning chill off tools.”

Web: www.ambirad.co.uk