How do you keep a 90,000 sq ft all-metal hangar with 100 ft ceilings from turning into an oven on hot summer days? That was the challenge facing John Hefner, NASA facility coordinator, with Building 1244 at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. The hangar has held everything from a docking simulator used to teach astronauts how to dock the lunar module, to a Boeing 757 called ARIES (Airborne Research Integrated Experiments System) that stands to help the aeronautics industry increase safety and efficiency.
While most of the 120+ employees work in the facility’s air conditioned offices, enough people are routinely on the hangar floor to suffer from the extreme temperatures.
In a facility that understands aerodynamics, four specially engineered 24 ft diameter Big Ass Fans proved to be the answer to summer cooling problems. John Hefner and Butch Lilly, senior facilities system engineer for maintenance contractor Johnson Controls, describe how they put their fans to good use.
Why did Building 1244 need Big Ass Fans?
Lilly: The problem here was that the hangar has big doors, but they’re at one end of the building. There’s no cross-breeze being generated like there would be if we had doors at the opposite end. We had dead air.
Hefner: Even on a very pretty day with the doors open, it’s still really hot in here.
How did your employees react when the fans went up?
Hefner: They would forget to turn them on when they came in – or they didn’t want to turn them on. They didn’t believe they would work, but now they wouldn’t be without them. The fans really do the job.
What is your favorite thing about your Big Ass Fans?
Lilly: I like them because they were a cinch to put up even with our arched ceiling and oddly arranged I-beams.
Hefner: My favorite thing about our Big Ass Fans is that they just work. Everyone is pleased that we found a solution to the cooling problem here at Building 1244.
Did the Big Ass Fans resolve your cooling problems?
Lilly: Yes! Now there is an actual light breeze in the building, and it gets into all the corners.
Have you experienced any unexpected benefits?
Hefner: There is much more air movement now, and that has had an added benefit. It tends to reduce the condensation issues we were having in the hangar.
