elctric heat in airport hanger

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gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
Is this possible? If so , how would you approach it?

Unless you own your own power plant, have access to Bill Gates' money, or a sure-fire way to counterfeit US currency, this would be my current top pick for Bad Idea of the Year.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Possible, yes.

Practical, most of the time no.

Heat pump - entirely electric source, but more cost efficient to operate than resistance heat.

You didn't mention if this is a hanger for a small single engine plane or a hanger for a 747 or something in between either though.
 

PaulMmn

Senior Member
Location
Union, KY, USA
Occupation
EIT - Engineer in Training, Lafayette College
Most 'open-air' kinds of places (like auto repair garages) use infra-red heaters mounted near the ceiling, aiming at the area below. Some are electric, some are gas. But they don't try to heat the air, they try to heat the objects (ie people) below.

Given that most garages (and hangers) have large, uninsulated doors, that may not seal tightly against the wind, heating the air is a futile exercise.
 

StarCat

Industrial Engineering Tech
Location
Moab, UT USA
Occupation
Imdustrial Engineering Technician - HVACR Electrical and Mechanical Systems
Load Calculation

Load Calculation

Is this possible? If so , how would you approach it?

This would seemingly be a massive KW load depending on the size of the structure and the difference to outside temp you want to try and maintain.
I have never been involved with service on that kind of structure, but I would expect that the convention is not electric. If it has to be done this way I would expect forced air is how it will be done. If I had a load calculation in hand I would speak to an outfit like Trane or Carrier on details for equipment. The design criteria for this type of structure would need to be investigated in detail.
 

Dzboyce

Senior Member
Location
Royal City, WA
Occupation
Washington 03 Electrician & plumber
Across the highway from my shop is a runway for an Ag spray plane service. Jock has infloor hydronic heat. It works great. He sets the heat at 65 degrees. This is probably a 10,000 sf hangar.

If something comes inside that’s wet, it and the floor are dry in an hour or two. If your doing mechanical work on the floor it’s comfortable. Every winter he hosts a hanger dance. Nobody has to wear a coat inside the hangar. Outside, that’s a different story.

as previously mentioned, the other option is radiant heaters. They heat objects, not the air.
 

charlie b

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
Most 'open-air' kinds of places (like auto repair garages) use infra-red heaters mounted near the ceiling, aiming at the area below. Some are electric, some are gas. But they don't try to heat the air, they try to heat the objects (ie people) below.
They're called "radiant heaters." It works the same way the Sun does: it has little direct effect on the temperature of the air, but it makes you feel warm. The air temperature is impacted more by reflected heat from the ground than by sunlight passing through the air. Just think of the difference between standing in the direct sunlight and stepping one foot away and finding yourself in shade. The air temperature is the same in both locations, but the way you feel is vastly different.

We are working on several projects that use this heating system, including a vehicle maintenance facility. There is a concern over combustible materials being too close to the heater. But each heater has a zone of influence within which there is a potential flammability hazard, and outside of which there is not. So there is a design task involved in selecting and placing the heaters.

 
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