Advanced Chiller for Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park

Sustaining Life in a Sophisticated Environment
Goals
Install high efficiency chillers to maintain friendly temperatures for aquatic life
Solutions
Chiller package, Charge of refrigerant and oil, Electrical power and control connections, Chilled liquid connections, Manufacturer start-up
Results
Our energy effciency solutions allow CAFP to save 703,259 kWh annually.
Project

Need for Reliable Temperature Regulation

Species that are taken away from their natural habitat need to be monitored very closely to ensure their growth and survival. Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park (CAFP) boasts about 256 different species that need optimum care in their artificial environment. The most crucial part to sustaining life in a large aquarium is temperature regulation. To prevent overheating of water inside the aquarium, chillers are needed to dissipate heat into the surroundings and keep the liquid cool.
CAFP, with its largest tank at a capacity of 58,000 gallons, required a chiller to keep its exhibits safe and healthy. METCO executed the project, installing an eco-friendly chiller with smart control systems capable of handling large volumes of water.

  • Industry Recreation
  • Location Dallas, Texas
  • ServicesGeneral Contracting & Engineering

Intelligent Design meets High Reliability

Engineers from METCO selected an automated chiller from YORK for its high-end specifications. Maintaining a large aquarium demands installation of high performance peripherals. This is important because variations in underwater environment can induce stress in aquatic creatures, making them prone to parasites and diseases.

Working alongside Texas Air Systems, METCO professionals ingeniously prepped the chillers, being mindful of their placement and water flow. We selected a chiller model with sophisticated control systems and high efficiency configuration. Our selected air-cooled chiller model guarantees long term performance and high reliability.

  • Construction Cost $1 Million
  • Annual Cost Savings $35034
  • Electricity Savings703259 kWh/yr
  • Simple Payback (years) 5.89 yrs
Business Case

Powering up the Water Realms

Running an aquarium on a large scale means there is no room for mistakes at the backend. Mechanical components like pumps, electrical nodes and control connections have to be wired flawlessly to ensure seamless operation of the chiller. The YORK YLAA chillers that our experts installed have a high efficiency rating without trade-offs. Advanced control algorithms automate the system operation via liquid temperature sensors that communicate with control system logic. Some notable features of the chiller is built-in scheduling, remote ON/OFF and temperature reset.

Equipped with the best-in-class heat exchanger technology, the chillers have a 30% reduced refrigerant charge. They silently run for hours on end on R-410A refrigerant that has no ozone-depletion potential, proving to be eco-friendly as well. These energy efficient chillers will enable CAFP to save $35,034 annually and 703,259 kWh/yr of electricity.

The scope of our work extended to installing different chillers, in accordance with the capacity required by the aquarium tanks. With each air-cooled chiller, we set up their auxiliary components as well, including but not limited to:

1. Chiller package
2. Charge of refrigerant and oil
3. Electrical power and control connections
4. Chilled liquid connections
5. Manufacturer start-up

We executed the project systematically, starting from rigging and installation as per instructions in the manufacturer’s requirements, to project drawings and contract documents. Next came the vital task of chiller placements on supports. Electrical connections and control settings were configured in coordination with controls contractor.

Benefits of Choosing METCO

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Partnering with Industry Leaders

METCO’s certified engineers expertly handled the installation of air-cooled chillers that saved CAFP a crisis in the aquarium. Our workflow process is ethical and all procedures meet the leading industry standards. Following this process ensures long term superior results for the company.

We ingeniously implemented all setups, as per standard protocols and coordinated seamlessly with our contractors for a smooth workflow. This implementation prevented CAFP from encountering any hassle, starting from communication to successful execution of the project.

Additionally, before wrapping up the project, our engineers made sure all safety contraptions were secured and all chillers were working in synchronization. With the aquarium bursting with life, CAFP is now set to reap economic benefits from this project.

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