Hospital Power System

Ruggedscot:

With a hospital you are looking to keep the power going for as long as possible and ensure that there is duplicity in the critical areas so that a supply can be pretty much depended upon, actually its the post op care areas and the ICU that really need the power as these areas that individual is not being baby sat like they are in the theatre. if the power goes down you better hope that there is back up on the equipment just to ride through until the staff can get a grasp on all thats going on.


So in a hospital you have an electrical supply, this supply is backed up by a generator or generators depending on the site load requirements. Also if you are applying n+1 then this has to be considered with the generators.


So this supply is provided to the hospital - you have the risk when the supply fails of a delay in power till the generators kick in so you cover that with a UPS to provide fill in between utility and generator.


So this UPS back up is used to supply all the critical equipment on site. You will have a UPS system installed that can cover the electrical system and ensure that there is no risk from a single point of failure. Generally you would specify two UPS systems on an n+1 layout so that if one UPS fails the other can keep the system going. This would be kept seperate and the wiring seperated as well to ensure that a source of power is available to the protected equipment. The biggest fear being a single point of failure affecting the critical areas. 


An additional type of supply is provided to a hospital which is an isolated power supply This is a supp,y that is un referenced to earth. This means that the wiring or equipment could have an insulation failure but it will allow that item to keep going and would alarm to let the staff know to take action. it provides a further degree of protection. In addition to that there would be interweaving of the supplies in and around these critical areas to ensure that in the vent of a loss of one supply it would not affect the other supply. 


simple really and all about ensuring that the patient electrical supplies are kept well protected.

Chris Pearson:

OMS:

I've never had to reach in and grip someone's heart and keep squeezing  - so I've no idea how I'd hold up TBH

Last resort! But I have it on good authority that it has been done successfully in the back of a Chinook flying somewhere over Afghanistan.

 

ProMbrooke:

Ok- but why do UK ORs and ICUs also have red sockets in addition to green ones? Why provide none UPS circuits?

 

Not personal at all, but 100% correct and spot on! ?


If you ask me, I like your approach better in that we don't typically see UPS tertiary power in critical care areas. I like the fact UK code lets you choose how to sub-divide the branch circuits and how many ATSs to use. Also it seems like UK hospitals end up with two sources of backed up power in each critical care location instead of one normal and one emergency as typical in the US.


If you don't mind I will read more of HTM 06-01 and ask questions. Forgive me if they are elementary or seem argumentative. I have zero experience or knowledge involving UK backup and critical power systems. I am learning this for the first time.

 

OMS:

For the less important stuff - maybe the electric rise and fall of the bed or somewhere to plug in the iPhone

OMS:

ProMbrooke:

Ok- but why do UK ORs and ICUs also have red sockets in addition to green ones? Why provide none UPS circuits?

 

For the less important stuff - maybe the electric rise and fall of the bed or somewhere to plug in the iPhone


Regards


OMS