World Cup Stadiums Environmentally Friendly Cooling Technology

Stadiums Environmentally Friendly Cooling Technology

The innovative cooling technology used in the stadiums of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and in other public places, such as Katara, is an embodiment of the sustainable legacy after the World Cup, whether in Qatar or abroad, as well as the lively development of environmentally friendly technology in football.
The cooling process depends on sensors limited to the spaces where people are present, as the stadium structure acts as a wall surrounding the cooling inside area.
The stadium cooling mechanism works by passing the cooled air through special outlets under the audiences' seats, and large nozzles to cool the pitch. Air circulation technology is also used, where previously cooled air is drawn in, cooled again and purified, before being pushed back into the stadium.
Cooling technology was an important commitment of Qatar's bid, not only for the success of the 2022 tournament, but also as a legacy for Qatar and the region.
The technology aims to stabilize the temperature during matches not to exceed 21 C, creating a suitable environment for the players by turning the field into an air bubble with sensors installed to isolate the entire stadium from outside weather.
Since the State of Qatar has won the honor of hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2010, the country promised to organize a historic and remarkable edition of the World Cup, setting new standards and advanced ways to organize global tournaments in the future, based on the optimal use of environmentally friendly technology.
Although the World Cup Qatar 2022 is scheduled for the winter season during November and December, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, which is the body responsible for delivering infrastructure projects, insisted on implementing sustainable technologies and innovative cooling systems in stadiums, training venues and areas for spectators and fans, which will contribute to reducing the temperature to range between 20-24 C.
The work of this technology will not be limited to cooling the air, but also purifying it, as the air inside the stadiums will be very clean and pure. In addition to that, the cooling technology will be used to ventilate the stadiums floor in order to provide a suitable climatic environment for healthy grass free of fungal diseases.
The cooling system was developed for the sake of three basic elements: the grass, the players and the fans, which means that the process provides the grass with a certain temperature and humidity to be at its best. The process also gives both the players and the fans an appropriate temperature.
The state-of-the-art cooling technology blows cold air on the players via football-sized nozzles alongside the pitch and smaller air diffusers under each spectator's seat, pushing out cold air at ankle level. The human body produces heat to a certain degree, and when a large number of people gather in one place, this temperature rises dramatically.
World Cup Stadiums Cooling Technology Engineer Dr. Saud Abdulghani said that the innovative cooling system in the stadiums of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 constitutes a model to follow in the sustainable legacy of major tournaments, in a way that enhances the status of the State of Qatar at the global level, with its steady progress in fulfilling its pledges to host an exceptional edition of the World Cup.
Abdulghani, who led the team involved in developing the cooling technologies in the stadiums for the World Cup Qatar 2022, explains that the innovative cooling system will help players avoid injury in extreme temperatures, noting that this technology will become a constant base in major sporting events in the future.
The cooling system consists of two parts, the first of which is to purify and clean the air and the second one of which is to cool it. It relies on pushing clean and cooled air into the stadiums and taking out the hot air and recirculating it through machines that release clean and filtered air.
Sensors are deployed throughout the stadiums to control the temperature and humidity, to provide a temperature during matches ranging between 20-24 C, at the request of FIFA.
The cooling devices are designed based on 3D printed stadium model to determine the power of the wind and the shape of the shade, as the design of the stadium greatly affects the cooling and purification of the air.
In this context, Cooling Technology Engineer, who is also a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Qatar University, indicates that the system meets the requirements of sustainability, as the energy used in the cooling process is generated from the main grid, which receives the energy coming from the Al Kharsaah Solar Power Plant.
He points to the difference in the mechanism of cooling technology according to the design, shape and function of each stadium, which challenged the engineer and the work team.
Afterwards, customized cooling solutions are created for each stadium separately, covering all areas within the World Cup stadiums that will witness the tournament, ensuring that fans and players enjoy an ideal atmosphere during the activities of the World Cup championship, he adds.
Khalifa International Stadium is the first World Cup stadium that was equipped with innovative cooling technology during its redevelopment work, while the new technology was included in the rest of the World Cup stadiums, starting from the design stage. The first of which was Al Janoub Stadium, which is the first stadium built from scratch specifically to host the World Cup competitions.

(QNA)