Doha
Qatar University (QU) has developed a new open-area cooling technology that promises to elevate the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup experience.
The cooling technology recycles air and transforms open spaces in hot environments.
During the bidding period for Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar needed a standout proposal that would get the recognition it needed to qualify. So, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), local organizers of the World Cup, reached out to Dr Saud Abdul-Aziz Abdul-Ghani, a Professor at Qatar University, and an expert on the topic of engineering in air-conditioning.
Dr Abdul-Ghani says, “In engineering, where there is a problem, there is a solution. The problem, in this particular situation, was how to air-condition a number of open stadiums that could reach 80,000-seat capacity, in intense heat.
Alongside the SC, and with their support, Dr Abdul-Ghani and his team first created a solar-powered cooling helmet for workers constructing the stadium to prevent them from being exposed to the challenges from extreme heat. The innovation, “has the potential to revolutionize the construction industry in hotter areas of the world,” says Dr Abdul-Ghani.
The team then focused on the topic of the stadiums.
After extensive research and testing, the team came up with a state-of-the-art cooling technology that blows cool air on the players via pitch-side air conditioning vents and a similar technology placed under each audience member’s seat, which then mimics a natural cool air draft.
While the World Cup may have been the catalyst for the invention, the cooling system proves to be beneficial in many areas.
The technology is being used in Qatar for agricultural purposes and has already been implemented in outdoor public spaces, meaning visitors of these areas can enjoy cool temperatures year-round despite what the thermometer reads.
This could greatly change the lifestyles of people living in hot climates.
Not only is the innovation groundbreaking, it is also sustainable, the machine recycles the cool air emitted and circulates it back, making it 40 percent more sustainable than existing technologies.
Cooling a stadium will only use one-fifth of the air it would require for an airport terminal for example.
Dr Abdul-Ghani has also generously chosen not to patent the under-seat diffusers, a move designed to benefit the scientific community.
