CDU Engineering students get a peek behind the curtain

Charles Darwin University’s facilities staff has opened the University’s Chiller Plant Room to engineering students for the first time, following recent upgrades to the facility.

The chilled water plant was refurbished with new equipment and systems, such as upgrading the Building Management System and installing a new cooling tower system.

CDU’s mechanical contractor, Trane Technologies Australia, hosted a guided tour of the rooftop cooling towers and chillers within the plant room.

 The visit was an on-site opportunity for students undertaking units in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning systems to engage with the practical applications of their studies. 

Students were able to observe the cooling tower operations, pump systems, building management system Integration, and energy management principles within a live operational environment.

Facilities Project Manager Maria Petrakis-Droullis emphasises that upgrades to infrastructure not only modernise the university’s operational capability, but also directly support the educational experience across the campus.

“The student tour of the upgraded chiller plant room a is great example of how infrastructure investment can create real-world learning opportunities for students while improving the long-term resilience, sustainability, and operational performance of CDU’s facilities.” Ms Petrakis-Droullis said. 

The recent addition of flat screens enables visitors to observe the system's operations collectively. This allows for structured training sessions and an enhanced learning experience.