The World Cup will take place between November and December. This is due to the host country’s climate in June and July when Qatar can reach average temperatures of 40 to 50°C.
At the beginning of the negotiation, FIFA issued a report indicating that the tournament going on during the summer could be considered a potential health risk. However, the host city organization insisted it would accommodate the competition in the usual months. They promised several advanced air conditioning technologies in the stadiums, training grounds and fans' areas. Following the current technological evolution level that the UAE presents to the world, it is acceptable that this would not impede the holding of the World Cup. As proof of this, British company Arup developed a prototype titled Qatar Showcase, which showed how this system would work.
However, the efforts were in vain, as FIFA maintained its position. They considered the last two months of the year as the ideal date. It is expected that temperatures will range from 20°C to 30°C, even though the climate in the country is milder during this period of the year. The aid of mechanical air conditioning will be required, especially in the stadiums. Technological advances previously presented by the host country continued to develop because, as the head of the organizing committee of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Hassan Al Thawadi, stated, it is important to understand the legacy that the tournament must offer to the population of the country.
In 2011 Qatar Showcase presented a cooling system that would use solar panels to generate electricity and cool water by up to 6°C. The cooled air would reach the stadium through the seats made of perforated material. In addition, the sloping roof would provide shade for a large part of the stadium. Despite being functional, the project needed more development from a financial and sustainability standpoint. In 2013, after two years, there were official statements saying that 9 solar power plants would be built, a central one, and eight more, one for each stadium.
There is a lot of speculation on this cooling technology. However, with the tournament getting closer and closer, Dr. Saud Ghani, professor of Mechanical Engineering at Qatar University, has been in the spotlight by introducing the technology that will, in fact, cool the stadiums of the 2022 World Cup.
Nicknamed Dr. Cool, Ghani believes that stadiums’ architecture should be a positive link between design and climate. In his view, the buildings shouldn't work against climate, but rather be smart and work with it. He developed a system based on sustainability, modularity, and functionality to cool stadiums.
The first step to ensure hot air will not enter the stadiums would be to analyze their shapes aerodynamically to understand how the design could minimize this situation. During the process, numerous 3D models were built and tested using smoke and color lasers to analyze the airflow over the stadium, and variants, like spectator numbers and sweat production, were added. This helped to define the dimensions of the stadium's upper openings, optimizing their shape to prevent the entry of hot air and provide shading. In addition, according to Ghani, other factors were also considered; the Al Bayt stadium, for example, had a darker façade. By changing it to a lighter one, there was a 5°C change in internal temperature, which they called a “quick win”.
After optimizing the architectural projects, the next step was to develop the refrigeration system itself, which took place through an important finding by Ghani. It was not necessary to cool the entire stadium. The system should focus on the pitch and reach about 2 meters above the highest seat.
As a result, a punctual cooling system was created, focusing on these specific areas. In practice, the idea materializes in diffusers the size of a soccer ball. They blow air onto the field while smaller elements, located under each fan's seat, blow air at ankle height. This diffuser system has a functional design. It has not been patented and will be able to serve the scientific community.
Dr. Saud's cooling technology is estimated to be 40% more sustainable than existing techniques. Stadiums only need to be cooled down two hours before an event, which reduces energy consumption compared to other methods. In addition, there is a recycling system in the cold air, which is cooled twice before being expelled outside, reducing the absorption of hot outside air.
Ghani credits the system's success to the collaboration between architects and engineers, who worked together from the beginning of the design process. This partnership resulted in the creation of this pioneering cooling technology that has already been used in other projects, such as the Katara square, also in Qatar. The focus is now on the latest tweaks. In less than a month, the stadiums will be in the spotlight and their cooling system will be tested by fans and players from all over the world.
