Case study

Background

Linz AG is a public municipal utility company that operates trams, mountain railroads, and buses in Linz with its subsidiary Linz Linien GmbH. In summer/fall 2020, the tram depot in Linz/Kleinmünchen was modernized with a new air distribution system from FabricAir.

The reason: In the past, the large workshop hall, which covers more than 2000 square meters, often had an uncomfortable indoor climate. Mr. Harald Geissler, who handled the planning and construction management of the project, wanted to allow air to enter the area around the workstations with as few drafts as possible.

The goal was to provide cooling without sacrificing comfort while employees were servicing and repairing the trams. The challenge was to install the new air distribution system during ongoing operations. In addition, due to the low ceiling height, a low-pulse air supply was necessary to avoid unpleasant drafts.

Solution

In cooperation with Sema Klima and Lufttechnik GmbH from Linz, the FabricAir team designed an optimal air distribution. For the Linz Linien hall, FabricAir Combi 30 was chosen, a robust and durable fabric that is also flame retardant. A combination of MicroFlow™ and SonicFlow™ was chosen as the flow model: MicroFlow™ uses laser-cut microperforations to allow even air distribution and protect workers in the hall from drafts. SonicFlow™ has a directional throw where air exits through rows of larger holes.

This serves to provide a certain depth of penetration. Because of the low ceiling height, there was little room to install, so the Type 12 suspension system with semicircular diffusers was installed. This was a special design, but this did not change the short delivery time and the high quality of the system.

Results

The project was accomplished in the summer/fall of 2020 and the length of the air distribution system now totals 650 meters. “We expect to be able to create good working conditions in the hall during the warm season,” says Harald Geissler.

On the part of the user, a dark gray color was chosen so that the FabricAir system would visually blend into the industrial look of the hall and be favorable in terms of soiling. In addition to the air ducts, FabricAir moldings were also supplied to bridge the interface between round outlets and semicircular molds downstream.

“The short delivery time of ten days did not pose a problem in the accomplishment of the project, rather the opposite: the FabricAir team was able to react to changes even at short notice – and this flexibility benefited all parties involved,” says Andreas Kreindl, Managing Director of Sema Klima- und Lufttechnik GmbH. Delivery reliability of over 99.6 percent worldwide confirms FabricAir’s reliability.