AC Installed for Underwater Research Lab
Aquarius Reef Base (Photo: Julia Cichowski)
Beers Group Inc., a manufacturer of Air conditioning and refrigeration products for the marine industry, informs it was awarded a contract to supply air conditioning for the underwater research laboratory Aquarius Reef Base, located 60 feet below the surface several miles off Key Largo, Fla.
The Aquarius, an 81-ton, 43-foot-long, 9-foot-diameter saturation chamber, it is operated by Florida International University for underwater research. It is designed for a crew of six (four scientists and two technicians) to live and work on the sea floor on 10- to 30-day missions. In addition to scientific research missions, Aquarius is also used by NASA to train astronauts for space missions, as well as the U.S. Navy for diver training.
Beers Group said the equipment built for this special application incorporates a low temperature glycol chiller system that is lowered and mounted to the habitat supplying air conditioning, dehumidification, refrigeration and CO2 scrubbing. The equipment was designed and constructed to comply with American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Standards for saturation vessels.
Beers Group Inc. manufacturers the YACHTAIR PRODUCTS line of chilled water air conditioning, refrigeration and generator load bank systems. According to Richard Beers, President, the equipment was not unlike what is built for the yacht industry.
December 2024
