Government, Mechanical Upgrades, Specialized Facilities

Chiller Replacement and Central Plant Upgrades – Maxwell AFB

Client
Maxwell Air Force Base
Location
MAFB, Alabama
Size
5,820 ton capacity
Total Project
$30M+
Highlights
40+ year involvement

For almost four decades, HHB Engineers has played a leading role in the modernization and expansion of the Central Energy Plant serving Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Originally constructed in 1954 as an all-steam utility plant supporting the Air War College, the facility has evolved into a modern high-capacity chilled water production plant through a series of major infrastructure improvements designed and managed with HHB involvement.

HHB provided engineering services for multiple phases of system upgrades that transformed the plant from steam-driven refrigeration to high-efficiency electric chilled water production. Major improvements included replacement of aging chillers, modernization of pumping and cooling tower systems, upgrades to utility distribution infrastructure, implementation of advanced plant controls, and improvements to electrical and boiler systems.

Through decades of ongoing involvement, HHB has helped the Air Force improve system reliability, reduce energy consumption, increase plant capacity, and extend the life of this critical campus utility infrastructure.

Key contributions included:

  • Replacement of 4,000 tons of steam-driven refrigeration with 4,800 tons of electric-drive chilling capacity.
  • Conversion of plant pumping and distribution systems from constant-flow operation to primary-secondary variable flow.
  • Hydraulic modeling and analysis of the 1.5-mile chilled water distribution network to identify and address system deficiencies.
  • Modernization of cooling tower, condenser water, and plant control systems to improve efficiency and reliability.
  • Upgrades to boiler equipment, combustion controls, and supporting plant infrastructure.
  • Improvements to plant electrical distribution systems required to support expanded electric-drive equipment.
  • Design of chilled water and condenser water control enhancements, including variable-speed pumping, cooling tower optimization, and upgraded DDC controls.
  • Replacement of all 6 of the 800-ton chillers with new larger 970-ton chillers, new chiller pumps, and upgrades to the cooler towers to increase capacity.

 

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