Cold War, Building 17 – R3 Underground Operations Block, Vacuum Pump, RRH Neatishead.
BUILDING 17 – R3 Underground Operations Block.
Gross ext. 20,820 sq.ft.
Lying beneath and accessed through the “Bungalow” above it. It has two floors. The bungalow above it is of brick and pantile, built in the 1980's. The complex was originally built in the 1950's, but substantially upgraded in the 1980's. Inside R3 Underground Operations Block (information below is based on information provided by the RAF).
▪︎Electricity – Power is brought to site at 11,000 V via a dual feed to an above ground intake switchboard near to the site entrance. Here the EDF Energy switch gear and transformers are located in a self contained cabin. From this intake switchboard, power is distributed in a single high voltage closed loop ring main to seven sub-stations, two of which feed the underground R3 Bunker. The distribution sub-stations then serve individual buildings in the vicinity with low voltage cabling. The sub-stations have closed loops with inter-link protection. The total site reserve capacity is 1,500 KVA (for all buildings) although this has apparently been temporarily reduced to 500 KVA for metering purposes. Regarding R3, there are two sub-stations serving it, one above ground and the other below ground, inside the bunker. The former is in an above ground brick building and contains some BVP17HV switchgear and 1,000 KVA transformer. The below ground one consists of BVP17HV switchgear and a 1,000 KVA transformer. LV cables enter the bunker from the sub-stations via an EMPF fluted plate and filters. The switchgear is GEC System 4.
▪︎R3 Power Capacity – The R3 Bunker is fed via two HV sub stations “N” and “M” both feeding 415V 3 phase at 630 DCB (amps) into the LV switch room via independent 1,600A TP&N ACB’s onto a common bus bar. An automatic mains failure ACB is also connected to the common bus bar to supply Generator power when both transformer supplies fail. Any one of these supplies can supply the bunker electrical loads. This feeds into SM/1 to supply the removed Buffer Sets, Lower ops, Computer Room, Uniter Room. The removed Buffer Set supplies via SM/U the main equipment distribution boards in Upper and Lower Ops. SM/U is still in place but the Buffer Sets and control equipment have been removed, some cabling remains in place. The standby Generators have been removed, but could be replaced and connected back into the system. Reinstatement could be achieved with a system matched to the new perceived load.
▪︎R3 Fresh Air Systems – The system provides fresh air to three environmental AHU and comprises of two air conditioning elements, with twin stage contra-rotating axial flow fans, located in the Gas Filter room. The fresh air plant serves the following AHU’s. Upper Ops environmental system, Lower Ops environmental system, General primary environmental system. The air is conveyed to the three AHU’s via duct-work, and fed into each AHU mixing chambers. The systems provide conditioned air, at a constant volume and variable temperature to the –
a) Upper Ops environmental system: The AHU draws in 0.476m3/s of fresh air via the fresh air supply system and 0.96m3/s of re-circulated air via a common return air plenum.
b) Lower Ops environmental system: The AHU draws in 0.55m3/2 of fresh air via the fresh air supply system and 0.704m3/s of re-circulated air via a common return air plenum.
c) General primary environmental system: The AHU draws in 1.971m3/s of fresh air via the fresh air supply system and 2.071m3/s of re-circulated air via a common return air plenum.
d) Upper / Lower Ops, and computer equipment cooling systems: The operational equipment in these locations are served by AHU’s which provides conditioned air at variable volumes from 4% to 100% off air discharged onto the equipment at a constant air temperature of 20°c.
▪︎R3 Standby Power – An annex to the R3 building was built in the early 1990's to provide protection to standby generators (3 x 750 KVA). These are no longer in place but the exhaust and fuel systems remain in place. The fuel system is still intact. There are five buried tanks of 60,000 litre capacity, each.
▪︎R3 Communications – The BT cabling came to site through the RAF Museum, being retained land by Defence Estates. This has been disconnected there, although it is still intact on the site. The data links enter the site at the north-west and south-west corners from Horning and Wroxham exchanges. These have been disconnected at the exchanges though we believe that the cables are intact within the site, laid within ducting. The R3 under-ground bunker data capacity is only limited by how much communications data BT can handle through the local Horning Exchange. Regarding the R3 building, two data cable entry points are located to both sides of the bunker above ground transformer building. The pit to the west is the most direct link to the outside world as cabling is all still in place. The communications tray work and M&E support equipment is also still in place.
▪︎R3 Computer – There is a local Cogent computer network racking cabling and data outlets with a designation of “NTHR000XX”. Numerous fibre optic cables, generally inside concrete
ducting, link various facilities.
▪︎R3 Water and Sewage – There is an incoming water main which feeds the site, via the main gate. There are separate storm and foul drains with storm water to soak-aways. The foul previously went to septic tanks but the foul system has now been consolidated into mixed gravity and pumping systems, ultimately draining to a building in the south-west corner of the site. The sewage is then pumped to the Anglian Water System in Horning Village. The system is inter-linked across the site between Defence Estates and the land for sale, and is maintained on a long term agreement by Aquastream (subsidiary of Severn Trent).
▪︎R3 Gas - None.
▪︎R3 Abstraction Licence – There is a ground-water abstraction for a private water supply on the site, at the R3 bunker, which is licenced to RAF Neatishead. However, this does not appear to be used as there is a mains supply, now in existence.
Information sourced from – RAFcomb2013.
Cold War, Building 17 – R3 Underground Operations Block, Vacuum Pump, RRH Neatishead.
BUILDING 17 – R3 Underground Operations Block.
Gross ext. 20,820 sq.ft.
Lying beneath and accessed through the “Bungalow” above it. It has two floors. The bungalow above it is of brick and pantile, built in the 1980's. The complex was originally built in the 1950's, but substantially upgraded in the 1980's. Inside R3 Underground Operations Block (information below is based on information provided by the RAF).
▪︎Electricity – Power is brought to site at 11,000 V via a dual feed to an above ground intake switchboard near to the site entrance. Here the EDF Energy switch gear and transformers are located in a self contained cabin. From this intake switchboard, power is distributed in a single high voltage closed loop ring main to seven sub-stations, two of which feed the underground R3 Bunker. The distribution sub-stations then serve individual buildings in the vicinity with low voltage cabling. The sub-stations have closed loops with inter-link protection. The total site reserve capacity is 1,500 KVA (for all buildings) although this has apparently been temporarily reduced to 500 KVA for metering purposes. Regarding R3, there are two sub-stations serving it, one above ground and the other below ground, inside the bunker. The former is in an above ground brick building and contains some BVP17HV switchgear and 1,000 KVA transformer. The below ground one consists of BVP17HV switchgear and a 1,000 KVA transformer. LV cables enter the bunker from the sub-stations via an EMPF fluted plate and filters. The switchgear is GEC System 4.
▪︎R3 Power Capacity – The R3 Bunker is fed via two HV sub stations “N” and “M” both feeding 415V 3 phase at 630 DCB (amps) into the LV switch room via independent 1,600A TP&N ACB’s onto a common bus bar. An automatic mains failure ACB is also connected to the common bus bar to supply Generator power when both transformer supplies fail. Any one of these supplies can supply the bunker electrical loads. This feeds into SM/1 to supply the removed Buffer Sets, Lower ops, Computer Room, Uniter Room. The removed Buffer Set supplies via SM/U the main equipment distribution boards in Upper and Lower Ops. SM/U is still in place but the Buffer Sets and control equipment have been removed, some cabling remains in place. The standby Generators have been removed, but could be replaced and connected back into the system. Reinstatement could be achieved with a system matched to the new perceived load.
▪︎R3 Fresh Air Systems – The system provides fresh air to three environmental AHU and comprises of two air conditioning elements, with twin stage contra-rotating axial flow fans, located in the Gas Filter room. The fresh air plant serves the following AHU’s. Upper Ops environmental system, Lower Ops environmental system, General primary environmental system. The air is conveyed to the three AHU’s via duct-work, and fed into each AHU mixing chambers. The systems provide conditioned air, at a constant volume and variable temperature to the –
a) Upper Ops environmental system: The AHU draws in 0.476m3/s of fresh air via the fresh air supply system and 0.96m3/s of re-circulated air via a common return air plenum.
b) Lower Ops environmental system: The AHU draws in 0.55m3/2 of fresh air via the fresh air supply system and 0.704m3/s of re-circulated air via a common return air plenum.
c) General primary environmental system: The AHU draws in 1.971m3/s of fresh air via the fresh air supply system and 2.071m3/s of re-circulated air via a common return air plenum.
d) Upper / Lower Ops, and computer equipment cooling systems: The operational equipment in these locations are served by AHU’s which provides conditioned air at variable volumes from 4% to 100% off air discharged onto the equipment at a constant air temperature of 20°c.
▪︎R3 Standby Power – An annex to the R3 building was built in the early 1990's to provide protection to standby generators (3 x 750 KVA). These are no longer in place but the exhaust and fuel systems remain in place. The fuel system is still intact. There are five buried tanks of 60,000 litre capacity, each.
▪︎R3 Communications – The BT cabling came to site through the RAF Museum, being retained land by Defence Estates. This has been disconnected there, although it is still intact on the site. The data links enter the site at the north-west and south-west corners from Horning and Wroxham exchanges. These have been disconnected at the exchanges though we believe that the cables are intact within the site, laid within ducting. The R3 under-ground bunker data capacity is only limited by how much communications data BT can handle through the local Horning Exchange. Regarding the R3 building, two data cable entry points are located to both sides of the bunker above ground transformer building. The pit to the west is the most direct link to the outside world as cabling is all still in place. The communications tray work and M&E support equipment is also still in place.
▪︎R3 Computer – There is a local Cogent computer network racking cabling and data outlets with a designation of “NTHR000XX”. Numerous fibre optic cables, generally inside concrete
ducting, link various facilities.
▪︎R3 Water and Sewage – There is an incoming water main which feeds the site, via the main gate. There are separate storm and foul drains with storm water to soak-aways. The foul previously went to septic tanks but the foul system has now been consolidated into mixed gravity and pumping systems, ultimately draining to a building in the south-west corner of the site. The sewage is then pumped to the Anglian Water System in Horning Village. The system is inter-linked across the site between Defence Estates and the land for sale, and is maintained on a long term agreement by Aquastream (subsidiary of Severn Trent).
▪︎R3 Gas - None.
▪︎R3 Abstraction Licence – There is a ground-water abstraction for a private water supply on the site, at the R3 bunker, which is licenced to RAF Neatishead. However, this does not appear to be used as there is a mains supply, now in existence.
Information sourced from – RAFcomb2013.