Case Study - British Bakels – High Bay Warehouse
British Bakels is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of ingredients to the baking industry. The company occupies a 5.5 acre freehold site in Bicester in Oxfordshire, the development of which started in 1990. The site now comprises a powder blending facility, a production unit for food ingredients in liquid and paste form and a 2400 pallet space warehouse.The “high bay” warehouse is used for storing concentrated food materials on racking which extends to roof level. The overhead ducted warm air system which had originally been installed was not effective and a new system was sought which would eliminate the poor air distribution throughout the building and the draughts at working level.
The heating contractor approached Nuiare for a solution and Ecostrats were proposed, in addition to a “single point of discharge” warm air system. To avoid the inconvenience of installing new distribution ductwork an air handler unit would be installed in a separate plant room at high level in one corner of the warehouse. A very short section of duct would be taken from the air handler into the warehouse space.
Although other solutions were considered Nuaire’s Ecostrat was the only system to meet the specific requirements of the project: simplicity of installation, reduced cost compared to a ducted system, easy maintenance access and elimination of draughts at working level.
Ecostrats were positioned at a height of 4m along one side of the warehouse and set at an angle to project air towards the roof structure. The method of “air rotation” ensured that heat provided by the air handler was evenly distributed throughout the warehouse without the use of additional ductwork.
The equalisation of temperatures to less than 1°C difference above and below the mezzanine floor resulted in the ability to store delicate food products on the highest racking in the warehouse which had previously been impossible.
Ecostrats were also used in a new “low bay” manufacturing area with a very large mezzanine floor are. With Ecostrats positioned along the length of the building, opposite the mezzanine floor, temperature levels above and below the mezzanine are contained to within 1°C.
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