COVER STORY
collection and analysis of electrical data which can be used to improve the power quality and system performance. It is a vital tool to deliver effective energy management, quality control, preventive maintenance, and overall reductions in running costs. The ability to scrutinise and analyse the
entirety of an electrical system through continuous monitoring and comprehensive reporting enables maintenance teams to identify the reasons for power quality issues and mitigate the impacts. More advanced and sophisticated patient care has seen a sharp increase in the wider use of electronic medical devices such CT scanners, MRI scanners, X-ray equipment, kidney dialysis equipment, and operating robots. They are now an integral part of healthcare provision to increase productivity, reduce waiting lists, and make best use of medical staff. At the same time, increasing focus on
reducing energy costs has seen the installation of LED lighting, solar panels, and the use of frequency-controlled drives for pumps, fans, and other equipment. Advanced medical equipment and
energy-saving devices all have the potential to negatively impact the power network and power quality. Sophisticated and complex devices are at the same time sensitive to the power pollution they help to create. This combination of factors can compromise the stability, reliability, and performance of a health facility’s electrical power supply.
Harmonics and unbalanced voltages, alongside voltage dips or power peaks, can increase the risk of power failure, leading to system failures and increased maintenance costs.
Other factors that impact on the quality
of the power infrastructure in hospitals include electronic devices such as monitors and TVs with switch mode power supplies that contribute to a ‘dirty power system’. They can increase current build up on neutral conductors, with the risk of overheating and electrical fires. Bender technology brings transparency
to electrical systems, enabling facilities management teams to see actual and potential problem areas in a system and plan interventions accordingly. Power quality monitoring technology has been deployed at recent showpiece developments in the UK and the Republic of Ireland and is also specified at a new hospital under construction in Drammen in Norway. At Merlin Park University Hospital in
Galway, two new elective orthopaedic theatres have been equipped with Bender state-of-the-art operating theatre equipment, advanced medical IT power systems, and residual current monitoring devices for ultimate resilience and safety. RCM identifies potential issues with the TN (grounded) electrical systems at a pre-
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critical stage and enables predictive and preventive maintenance, avoiding power outages. Power quality monitoring devices provide data to effectively manage power usage, cut energy costs, and reduce the carbon footprint of medical facilities. RCM and PQM devices deliver extensive data on the TN network that provides real- time remote monitoring and gives hospital engineers an accurate representation of the electrical infrastructure. They can connect to Bender’s POWERSCOUT® reporting software which enables facilities managers to track and manage energy use more effectively and analyse power system performance from different areas of a facility.
residual current and power quality delivered using POWERSCOUT®
Importantly, an automated report on can form the basis
for verifying the integrity of the system and insulation resistance without switch-off – one of the key tests during periodic inspection. Carrying out this test without switch-off reduces the burden of periodic inspection and testing. The automated report is designed to fulfil the requirements of IEC 60364-6 and BS 7671:2018 651.2 (Periodic verification of low-voltage electrical installations) which states that: “… Where a circuit is permanently monitored by an RCM or an IMD it is not necessary to measure the insulation resistance…” Gareth Brunton, Managing Director of Bender UK explains: “The Merlin Park project demonstrates the wide-ranging capability that Bender offers to hospitals.
Not only does it include power and operating room technology, but we also worked closely with consultants, our internal engineers, and Bender GmbH to develop a full power and energy monitoring system. “The incorporation of RCM underpins
the resilience of the power supplies within the new facility and can assist predictive maintenance for maximum availability of the theatres to improve patient outcomes. It also allows Bender to offer support through remote monitoring of the systems and enhances immeasurably the services we can offer to Merlin Park.” The £35 m extension to St John & St Elizabeth Hospital in London includes six new operating theatres created by Bender UK that offer the latest integrated technology. Underpinning the resilience of the integrated operating theatres is the medical IT no-fail critical power system and UPS (uninterruptible power supply) battery back-up. Residual current monitoring adds an
extra dimension to the resilience of the new wing by providing live data on the status of the non-critical electrical system within the new operating theatre complex. Theatre lighting has its own UPS battery back-up system, but the general electrical supply ensures the safety and wellbeing of patients and the continued operation of patient facilities. The RCM system was previously trialled in the St John & St Elizabeth main hospital building. Extensive data provided by the RCM modules is routed through Bender’s POWERSCOUT®
facilities managers an accurate real-time ‘health check’, and a picture of the entire data for single or multiple site locations. Steve Kimp was the hospital’s Director
of Projects for the duration of the new wing planning and construction. He explains: “Bender UK was extremely pro- active in helping to raise the standard of electrical protection and resilience at the hospital. Our estates team had already seen the benefits of the data provided by continuous monitoring and I believe this technology will shape the way that support is provided in the future. Knowledge is power and enables you to make strategic decisions rather than simply react to circumstances as they arise.” At the new Drammen Hospital in
Medical IT power incorporating ATICS automatic changeover.
Norway due for completion in 2025, Bender has played a key role in creating the specification for the electrical system. It includes Bender PQM and RCM technology. The new hospital in Drammen will be a complete emergency hospital with elective and acute somatic and psychiatric functions with 545 beds and will serve as the local hospital for the communities of Lier, Drammen, Sande, Hurum, and Røyken. The 400/230V TN electrical infrastructure includes main distribution, emergency, and uninterruptible power supplies, and is
IFHE DIGEST 2023
reporting software to give
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