When it comes to large medical gas systems, the new NEC Nightingale hospital has them by the (mostly copper!) bucketful.


Medical oxygen and medical air are carried around the hospital subway in two 108 mm ring mains, each 3 km long, together with another total of 12 km of 54, 35 and 15 mm pipework, connecting the bed clusters and terminal units to the ring mains. 35,000 litres of each gas are required, just to fill the pipework!


Based on a patient load of 1000, 10 L/min of each gas per bed and no diversity (Did someone mention HTM 02-01?), the plant is commensurately sized.


Hence, the primary VIEs containing 80,000 and 50,000 litres of liquid oxygen supply the system via one of two 30,000 L/min capacity vaporisers and a 20,000 L/min capacity control panel. The secondary supply comprises two 50,000 litre vessels and a 10,000 L/min panel.


The four 30 kW compressors of the primary supply air plant, and the two 37 kW compressors of the secondary supply, offer a system flow of 10,000 L/min via twin 6000 litre capacity receivers.


All plant is fitted with auto-dialling medical gas alarms.


But perhaps the most staggering figure of all is the installation and testing time for plant, pipework and terminals to all 804 bed spaces of Phase 1 viz. starting on 1April and by working two 12 hr shifts of 20 men per shift and a further 4 night shifts, installation, including QC testing, was completed by Easter Monday.


Directors Keith Merrick and John Wolczek of Midland Medical Services Ltd wish to thank all the supporting contractors, suppliers and personnel who helped this mammoth task reach completion in less than two weeks.


May 2020 Health Estate Journal 19


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