CSE Pure Power - Summer 2008 - (Page 24)

❯❯ PURE POWER // SUMMER 2008 24 healthcare story POWER SYSTEMS TO PROTECT HEALTHCARE In the age of the paperless—and nearpaperless—hospital, it is essential that doctors, nurses, and healthcare technicians can access data 24/7/365. Whether located within the hospital, in stand-alone buildings on a hospital campus, or even sited remotely, these data facilities have special power requirements because they serve unique systems and services. Data centers for healthcare maintain not only general computer data and patient records, but nowadays also manage electronic radiology imaging ﬁles and monitoring equipment. Without the data center operating, most modern hospitals also would have difﬁculty operating. Even if the hospital does not have a data center as such, it most likely has a main distribution frame room (commonly known as an MDF room), or rooms that house the active electronics and main computer systems essential to hospital operations. The principle is the same, regardless of the size: Backup power must operate systems reliably when utility power fails. Although hospitals are already required to have Level 1, Class 10 emergency generators and emergency power distribution systems that comply with NFPA 99, the data center must have access to plenty of emergency power. The system’s reliability is already halfway home just by virtue of being located within a hospital. But Class 10 emergency systems are required to be online and serving their loads within 10 sec—an eternity for computer equipment. Ten seconds may be sufﬁcient for general power and www.purepowermagazine.com Whether located within a hospital or serving a facility from a remote location, healthcare data centers have unique power system requirements. BY MARK A. GELFO, PE, LEED AP, CxA Principal and Director TLC Engineering for Architecture Jacksonville, Fla. The goal of an emergency power system is to power the hospital when utility power is lost. The engine-generator is a critical component of this system. Parallelling multiple engine-generators requires parallelling the switchgear as well. http://www.purepowermagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CSE Pure Power - Summer 2008

CSE Pure Power - Summer 2008 Contents In the News Industry Roundup Risk Assessments for COPS Grounding Requires More Power Systems to Protect Healthcare Important Changes Coming in NFPA 70E A Look at Arc-Resistant Switchgear Agencies and Associations New Products Ad Index

CSE Pure Power - Summer 2008

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