INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL
resulting from poor steam quality at all points in the operating cycle.
The future of ‘clean energy’ We are all aware of the drive to reduce the use of fossil fuels in our bid to lower carbon emissions. The way this impacts on the thermal needs of industry is a problem that is challenging our engineering minds, particularly where there are large instantaneous thermal loads required by the process. The CSSD is one area that faces this challenge. Typically, a hospital or CSSD unit will have an energy centre that uses gas as the primary fuel, which then distributes thermal energy in the form of steam to the sterile services plant. The steam has very high energy content when compared with a typical circulating hot water system (26 times more energy per kg than a water circuit working on 80-60 °C flow and return). Steam is also very easily distributed, without the need for circulation pumps to move large volumes of water. However, in the long term we will still need to consider the primary fuel source. While we currently strive to find an alternative to burning natural gas, there is much development taking place to seek a fuel that can flow through our national infrastructure. We may find that a breakthrough is achieved in the use of bio gas or maybe hydrogen – we read and watch with anticipation as these developments progress.
Increasing electrification
One answer for the CSSD may be through increasing electrification, by using electric clean steam generators. The electrical power can be obtained from a renewable ‘low/zero carbon’ source, and this may solve some of the issues; many hospitals are indeed investing in their own solar capabilities. However, the thermal requirement of a number of sterilisers would place a significant instantaneous demand on the electrical infrastructure of a CSSD or hospital. We touched earlier on the peaky profile of the steam load. There is a solution to help overcome the need
Angelo Giambrone
Angelo Giambrone has built a wealth of experience in steam over the past 30 years. He joined Spirax Sarco as a Technical Sales engineer, working with steam users across the industry spectrum, and developing a varied application knowledge. As part of the Engineered Systems department, his focus moved towards identifying energy saving schemes and delivering packaged solutions into the market, which included the introduction in 2000 of the Easiheat plate heat exchange system now used widely within the hospital sector.
In recent years he has worked in Business Development, looking at how Spirax can best work with its customers. His ongoing involvement with hospitals led to him recently being appointed as Regional Business Development manager for the Healthcare sector in Northern Europe, which covers both hospital and pharmaceutical responsibilities.
for large electrical loads. High instantaneous steam demand can be met using a steam accumulator, which can store the thermal energy that is produced by the generator, only to release it in the form of steam as and when the process demands it. This can indeed reduce the peaks on electrical load, while satisfying the peaks of the steam demand.
Harnessing stored energy A step on from this is to store energy, particularly from renewables like solar and wind, when they are available, or from the grid when tariffs are preferential. This harnessed energy can then be released to deliver steam to the sterilisers when needed. The challenge is to do this efficiently, and with a technology that will minimise the environmental impact, both in its initial production, and its end of life disposal. Spirax Sarco is using its expertise to produce innovative solutions relating to storing and delivering thermal energy which is harnessed from low carbon sources. This may well pave the way not only for sterile services, but for
many aspects of heating and process in the future. Who would have thought, the creation of low carbon steam? A real modern day, 21st century industrial revolution.
n To download a steam sterilisation best practice guide for sterile services, visit
sxscom.uk/sterilisationinhealthcare.
Further reading n NHSI Patient Safety NHS Improvement Hub [
https://improvement.nhs.uk/ improvement-hub/patient-safety].
n Guest JF, Keating T, Gould D, Wigglesworth N. Public Health Original research, Modelling the annual NHS costs and outcomes attributable to healthcare- associated infections in England. British Medical Journal online [
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/ 10/1/e033367].
n NICE. Healthcare-associated infections Quality Standard (QS113) 2016 [
www.nice.org.uk/guidamce/qs113].
n Health & Safety Executive. Methods of decontamination guidance [
https://tinyurl.com/y2shve62].
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April 2021 Health Estate Journal 39
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