No industrial setting has air conditions that are exactly the same as those in another industrial environment. That's why an air conditioning design that fits the bill in one industrial environment will not necessarily work well in a different industrial setting. Industrial air conditioning involves altering the properties of the air inside an industrial plant or facility, so as to make indoor conditions more comfortable.
Let's take a look at some of the top factors to consider when coming up with the design for an industrial air conditioning system.
Application-specific demands
As pointed out earlier, every industrial setting has unique air conditioning requirements. For example, the air conditioning requirements of a hospital building will be different from those of a structural steel fabrication plant. While the hospital administrators may simply need to maintain room temperatures in patient rooms or wards, so as to ensure patients feel comfortable, the steel fabricators may require a different temperature setting to keep their workers feeling comfortable while drawing out process-generated heat. Every industrial environment has unique challenges, therefore the air conditioning system will have to be designed in a way that addresses the specific challenges.
Air filtration
The work of industrial air conditioners is not merely to cool or warm the air within an industrial building or facility, but to clean and freshen the air as well. Having an air filtration system is critical because the air within industrial facilities like hospitals, factories, etc. is usually infiltrated with harmful airborne pollutants, such as bacteria and germs in hospitals and VOCs in some factories, which undermine the quality of indoor air.
An integral part of any industrial air conditioning system installation is ensuring that the air conditioning equipment has been equipped with air filters that can trap airborne pollutants, so they do not circulate in the air. The use of HEPA filters in hospitals is common because the filters can kill off a high percentage of bacteria and germs present in the air.
Energy performance
Because they are used for air conditioning larger spaces, industrial air conditioners usually require more energy compared to residential and commercial units. With a proper design, however, industrial units can be made to operate energy efficiently. The most energy efficient industrial air conditioner models on the market usually cost a premium to install, but will prove to be more cost efficient over the long term because they will result in lower energy expenses.
Central air conditioning is the most feasible option for industrial air conditioning applications because it is designed for large buildings and other bigger spaces. But having a suitable air conditioning design is critical to ensuring optimal service from any industrial air conditioning system.
