Frequency Inverter for Ventilation Systems: Application Analysis in Car Park Ventilation.

With increasing road traffic and continuous office development in city centers, the question of where to build new car parks inevitably arises. Multi-story and underground car parks offer a logical solution in bustling urban areas. However, they come with stringent ventilation and fire safety requirements, which complicate the project and incur significant costs.

These systems utilize reliable Invertek Drives frequency converters Optidrive Eco, which allow for significant savings in installation and operating costs. Additionally, the internal height of the premises is increased as there is no longer a need for unsightly ventilation ducts. Instead of galvanized ducts, numerous impulse or jet fans are installed, strategically positioned throughout the car park. This powerful combination of fans ensures regular air changes during normal operation and can rapidly remove smoke and fumes in an emergency fire situation.

The precise location of the fans is calculated using computational fluid dynamics. This allows the designer to determine optimal fan positions before installation. Crawford Controls developed a control system that uses Invertek Drives Optidrive Eco frequency converters. The system controls fan activation and adjusts the set speed based on the CO level detected over a specific period. The system also responds to fire or smoke detection by activating an emergency smoke extraction mode.

Each car park is equipped with carbon monoxide detectors and a fire or smoke detection system. If CO levels do not decrease within a certain period, a second, higher detection level further increases fan speed, and so on. This method of controlling fan activation and speed allows for significant energy savings and reduces unnecessary wear and tear. In the event of fire detection, the system uses the inverter’s soft-start function to increase all fans to maximum speed, while ensuring minimal energy and mechanical load on the entire system.