Regulate 32,000 sqm to constant 18 °C hall temperature
The RBW decentralized warm air generators from LK Metall are an efficient and climate-friendly heating solution for large production halls.
In order to heat the new light-flooded production hall with a total area of around 32,000 m2 evenly and effectively during the annual heating period and to achieve a pleasant hall climate in summer, the axle manufacturer commissioned Kessler+Co. GmbH & Co KG from Abtsgmünd, Germany, provided the LK Metall company with a climate-friendly heating system using effective condensing boiler technology.
A total of 12 decentralized warm air generators of the RBW type were installed over a wide area under the hall ceiling. In order to achieve a uniform temperature of around 18 °C during the heating period, rising hall air is extracted, filtered and heated via the combustion chamber and the designed heat exchangers and fed back into the hall without drafts. The decentralized warm air generators are each heated with a natural gas-fired gas blower burner.
Warm air heater RBW for Kessler+Co
Additional use of waste heat
The rising warm hall air from process heat and the solar radiation via the skylights are an additional usable heat source for the warm air generator. The hall air extracted and filtered under the hall ceiling mixes with supplied fresh air. Due to the additional use of waste heat in combination with the modulating burner operation of the units, the RBW warm air generators consume significantly less energy.
“The use of the decentralized warm air generators type RBW for heating production halls is a convincing contribution to climate protection,” says Harald Wimmer Sales and Marketing Manager for hall heaters at LK Metall, “Because the additional use of waste heat means that less fossil fuel is consumed. This significantly reduces CO2 emissions.” The heat output range of RBW warm air heaters is from 40 kW to 160 kW. Special knitted metal filters made of stainless steel clean the hall air from dust particles and aerosols from production. Around 90 installed return air ceiling fans reduce the temperature stratification over the entire hall height to 0.3 °C to 0.5 °C per rising meter. These are regulated by sensors in the ceiling and floor areas.
Cooled hall air in summer
In the summer months, the RBW warm air generators improve the hall climate through the mixed air device. An automatic night-summer ventilation control system uses the cool outside air at night to cool the hall air, reducing accumulated heat from the day back to a comfortable temperature. “Thus, the RBW warm air heaters are also used in summer to maintain a pleasant daytime temperature,” said Harald Wimmer after commissioning the heating systems at Kessler+Co.
Central control from PC
A modern PLC flexibly controls the warm air generators. All settings are made via the respective touch displays on a total of four control cabinets. In order to be able to operate the twelve warm air generators centrally via a PC, the systems were integrated into the company’s network. Regardless of the size of the production and manufacturing halls, the RBW warm air heaters from LK Metall are a flexible, efficient and infinitely scalable heating solution with an extremely high efficiency of up to 99% based on the calorific value, thanks to the decentralized installation under the hall roof.
