Fans give controlled and silent performance for classical festival


The Problem

An inflatable dome was designed and manufactured by Cameron Balloons of Bristol to fulfil a design concept by the architect Dieter Dietz for an amphitheatre style temporary stage and seating construction that accommodated the performing artists and audience at the 2012 St Prex festival.”

Effective pressure control combined with silent operation were the essential demands from Cameron Balloons for the blowers employed for the dome over the performance area at the arts festival near Geneva.

The Solution

These criteria were fulfilled by a pair of ‘intelligent’ fans. The dome had a volume of 5000m3 and a diameter of 25m and provided protection for the performers and audience from the weather.   ACI’s QB EC fan units were supplied with an electronic controller and pressure sensor that was installed inside the dome via a mounting plate attached to the wall of the dome.  This fan and control package ensured the dome was always inflated to the correct pressure so it retained its shape and stability without the material being over stressed.

The ACI system was also designed to compensate natural air leakage and adjust pressure according to changing ambient temperatures which resulted in on-demand operation only from near silent fans, overcoming any fears of noise problems.

The Outcome

“We were concerned about possible noise issues resulting from continuously operating fan systems but the QB EC ‘intelligent’ fans quashed all those fears. ACI understood our needs and supplied a package to satisfy them within a very tight time schedule.” Dave Boxall, Design Engineer, Cameron Balloons.