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A boiler plant that is constructed off-site and shipped offers some unique advantages for the design and construction process — and sometimes for the longer life of the facility, too. As you might imagine, the strategy also involves some unique engineering obligations and responsibilities along the way. Learn the essential components for getting high quality performance from a modular project.
Carilion Clinic is a not-for-profit health care organization based in Roanoke, VA. In line with their mission to improve the health of the communities they serve, and with the intent of becoming a teaching facility, Carilion Clinic set upon upgrading their operating rooms and related existing HVAC systems at the Carilion New River Valley Medical Center in Christiansburg, VA.
Historically used in smaller-load residential settings, electronically commutated mo-tor (ECM) technology is making the leap thanks to recent improvements and in-creased awareness among engineers. Start with the basics, proceed to advantages and caveats, and consider the ways ECM designs can streamline the economics of air movement.
According to the United States Department of Energy, motors in homes and commercial buildings consume more than one-third of all the electricity used in these buildings.
Look at not only some nearly automatic benefits-in-waiting for your average hospital boiler retrofit, but also at some ideas for what to do if there isn’t budget for a full replacement. Meanwhile, a short laundry list of hospital-specific boiler considerations actually includes the laundry (but not how you might expect).
ASHRAE 170 is just the baseline for the fight against hospital acquired infections (HAIs). The ongoing human and financial tolls taken by these infections point to the need for engineers and facilities to raise their IAQ game wherever possible. Move beyond the minimum and get into the what, where, and how of HEPA filtration, ultraviolet technology, and catalytic air cleaners.
Air changes in some but not all spaces, duct liner here but not necessarily there, rooftop unit requirements … do the rounds and get a feel for the current condition of ASHRAE Standard 170, Ventilation of Health Care Facilities.
One of the worst things you can do is note the capacity and replace the chiller. Have the building loads and usage changed? What about motors and cooling towers? Consider these and your part-load realities to create real long-term improvements.
The replacement of chillers for hospitals and other health care facilities are often done out of absolute necessity, and it is often avoided for as long as possible.
Who actually specified that motor? Did they keep the entire system in mind or were they simply specifying one component at a time? And will that spec require over-speeding the motor?
A Mississippi clinic needed above-average design on a budget. The equipment was nothing unusual. However, creativity and attention to detail uncovered opportunities to fine-tune the design and exceed ventilation benchmarks for less.
Engineers’ daily challenges include calculations for outside air, supply air, and return or exhaust air flows — all while balancing mandated code requirements with owners’ expectations for performance, equipment first-cost, and future energy costs.
Day-to-day operations and the occasional renovation create two sets of distinct threats to IAQ and patient health. From monitoring stations and magnehelic pressure gauges to multiple resources for design and O&M guidance, the author points to recent projects and current wisdom to create a valuable resource.
Done right, going modular can be a good fit for hospitals in search of efficiency. From design to specification to pre-shipment, the process demands engineering attention to the right details at the right times. Get a designer’s notes from experience and learn how to take advantage of what a modular central plant can offer.