Wimbledon is the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world; It’s rich in tradition, but it’s also underpinned by modern technology. In the large subterranean complex—beneath the iconic grass courts—caterers, spectators, competitors and broadcasters all rely on effective air conditioning.
Air Conditioning Underpins Operations at Wimbledon
In the buildings around No.1 Court and the underground complex beneath courts 14 and 15, air conditioning is provided by a set of six air-cooled water chillers, using R-410A refrigerant.
This air conditioning is essential, not just for the comfort of spectators, competitors and catering staff, but also for the uninterrupted operation of broadcast and computer equipment; Live broadcasts can reach audiences of ten million people.
Refrigeration engineers remain on hand throughout The Championships; however, in the run up to events, their maintenance leaves nothing to chance.
Therefore Refrigerant Leak Detection System Is A Must
When No. 1 Court was refurbished, the project included a complete replacement of the air conditioning chillers.
The old chillers had been fitted with an earlier model Parasense leak detector. Based on experiences of that system, refrigeration engineers at Wimbledon and from Skanska pressed for Parasense to be used for the new system.
Working with refrigeration contractors from Skanska, Parasense supplied and installed a GRM2 infrared refrigerant leak detection system. This continually draws air samples from four points around each of the six chillers, detecting even the smallest of leaks.
Integrate With Building Management System
When the Parasense system detects refrigerant leaks from any of the chillers, it immediately passes a message to Wimbledon’s central building management system (BMS).
Results: Refrigerant Leak Detection Enables Proactive Maintenance
The new chillers with Parasense leak detectors were commissioned early in the year—well before The Championships. This allowed refrigeration engineers to pinpoint potential issues long before they could develop into problems.
Throughout The Championships—and since—all six chillers have supplied the air conditioning systems at full capacity without incident. ∎