Chapter 2: Power System in Hospital

Learning Outcome
• This chapter analyses planning, designing and
construction of electrical power systems for
medical care treatment facilities.
 Introduction
• Special considerations of power systems in
hospitals:
– Flexibility
– Longer durations
– Emergency
– Safety
– Size and power requirement of medical devices
(MRI, CT, X-ray, scanners)
 Power Supply Criteria Factors.
Power supply design should implement the
following:
1. Reliability
2. Durability
3. Maintainability
4. Efficiency and
5. Economy.
 1. Reliability
• Classification and requirements will be used to
establish reliable design .
• The system should avoid personnel injury, or
damage to other building components.
 2. Durability
• Considering the design life of the facility besides
reliability.
3. Maintainability
• Make the wiring simple to maintain equipment
and installed wiring without interruption to
mission critical loads.
 4. Efficiency
• The efficiency of the facility electrical system,
measured at the utilization transformer secondary
• The alternative power source power factor (PF) not
less than 0.90 at nominal voltage for balanced three
phase loading.
• PF is the ratio of working power (kW) to apparent
power (kVA).
• Apparent power, also known as the demand used to
run machinery and equipment during a certain period
 5. Economy
• Evaluate alternative system configurations, and
component types and sizing for economic value
• Alternative power sources has to be installed to
critical care areas
• In this area, patients may be subjected to invasive
procedures and connected to line-operated electro
medical devices.(Ex. Operating rooms, Intensive
care unit, Emergency care units etc.)
 Emergency and Standby Power Systems
• These systems provide alternative power source.
• Alternative power source required if the normal
source fails.
• As such, reliability of these types of systems is
critical and good design practices are essential.
 
 A. Emergency Power System
• It is an independent reserve source of electric
energy upon failure of the normal source
• It automatically provides reliable electric power
within a specified time to critical devices and
equipment.
• Because the failure of these devices jeopardize the
health and safety of personnel or result in damage
to property.
 B. Standby Power System
• An independent reserve source of electric energy
upon failure of the normal source
• Provides electric power of acceptable quality so that
the user’s facilities may continue in satisfactory
operation.
• The NEC divides standby power systems into two
categories, as follows:
 I. Legally Required Standby Systems:
• Used to power equipment that is not categorized as requiring
emergency power, but whose failure could create hazards,
hinder rescue or hamper firefighting operations.
• Those systems legally required standby by public, state,
federal, and other codes or by any governmental agency
having jurisdiction.
• Are typically installed to serve loads , such as heating and
refrigeration systems, communications systems, ventilation
and smoke removal systems, sewage disposal, lighting
systems, and industrial processes that, when stopped during
any interruption of the normal electrical supply, could create
hazards or hamper rescue and fire-fighting operations.
 II. Optional Standby Systems:
• Are not required by code and serve equipment whose failure will
not impact life safety.
• These systems may be specified and installed to protect against
economic loss or business operations.
• It is “business critical.”
• Are typically installed to provide an alternate source of electric
power for such facilities as:
– Industrial and commercial buildings
– Farms
– residences and to serve loads such as heating and refrigeration
systems
– Communications systems
– Industrial
 Reasons of Using Emergency and Standby Power
Systems
• Legal Requirements: These are concerned with the safety of
human life, protection of the environment, etc.
• Economic Considerations: Continuous process applications
often require a continuous source of electrical power to avoid
significant economic loss.
 Power sources
• Generators are by far the most prevalent source
of power for emergency and standby power
systems.
• During the starting period, the necessary power
may not be available so a buffer between the
generators and sensitive load is generally required
i.e. Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS).
 Cont.
• UPS supplies uninterrupted power to sensitive &
critical loads.
• The most popular topology for a UPS is the
double conversion topology, as shown in figure
below:
 Cont.
• So long as the batteries are properly maintained, the
AC output should not be affected by change in
frequency or voltage, or even a complete loss, at the
input, so long as backup time of the UPS is not
exceeded.
• UPS systems do not alleviate the need for a
generator or second utility service power source, but
they do serve to buffer critical loads from the effects
of generator starting time, voltage and frequency
variations.
 Switching devices
A means must be provided to switch the critical loads from the
normal utility source to the standby power source.
1. An automatic transfer switch
•Self-acting equipment for transferring one or more load conductor
connections from one power source to another.
•The most common means of transferring critical loads to the
emergency/standby power supply.
•Consists of a switching means and a control system capable of
sensing the normal supply voltage and switching over to the
alternate source should the normal source fail.
 Cont.
• Is available in ratings from 30-50 A, and up to 600V.
• Automatic test switches with adjustable pickup and dropout set
points and integral testing capability are generally preferred.
• An automatic transfer switch is generally an open-transition
device that will not allow paralleling of the two sources.
• Manual versions of transfer switches are also available.
• Switching time is 0.1 second.
Automatic Transfer Switch one-line diagram
representation
 2.Bypass/isolation switches
• Are used to bypass an automatic transfer switch (or
other switching means) and connect the source
directly to the load and allow isolation of the transfer
switch for maintenance.
Bypass\Isolation switch application
 Cont.
• The bypass blade “B” serves to bypass the
automatic transfer switch
• Isolating contacts “I” serve to isolate the automatic
transfer switch.
• Bypass/isolation switches are typically manually-
operated devices.
 Cont.
3. Static Transfer Switches:
• Are typically used when high-speed (~4ms)
operation is required.
• The most common application is to bypass a UPS so
that a UPS failure will not result in interruption of
service to the load.
 Standby Power System Arrangements
A) Basic arrangement – radial system:
• Is the most basic arrangement.
• The transfer switch transfers the standby loads to the alternate
source upon failure of the normal source.
• This arrangement extends the same inherent weaknesses.
• A single failure of one piece of equipment can result in loss of
service to the emergency/standby loads.
Simple emergency/standby system arrangement
 B) Hospital arrangements:
• A hospital emergency system needs very unique requirements
for the design.
• The emergency system is classified into:

The essential electrical system: comprised of “alternate

sources of power and all connected distribution systems and
supplementary equipment, designed to ensure continuity of
electrical power to designated areas and functions of a health
care facility during disruption of normal power sources.
 Cont.
• The emergency system: which is “a system of
circuits and equipment intended to supply alternate
power to a limited number of prescribed functions
vital to the protection of life and safety”
• The emergency system is a part of the essential
electrical system.
Minimum requirement for essential electrical system for
hospitals 150 kVA or Less
Minimum requirement for essential electrical
system for hospitals over 150 kVA
• Within a hospital electrical distribution network, the circuits

can be divided between the normal (non-essential circuits)

and the essential electrical system.

• The non-essential circuits do not require an alternate power

source, but the essential electrical system does.

• The essential electrical system includes circuits that support

equipment or systems vital to the protection of life and

safety (patient-care related circuits ).

– Intensive care unit, operating rooms

– Emergency lighting, alarm systems, battery chargers.

 Cont.
All the electrical infrastructure equipment needed to ensure vital
or life safety equipment that power interruptions are kept to
less than a maximum legislated duration.
• Hospital system will include enough on-site generation to
power at least the full load of the essential electrical system.
• It is common for back-up generation to fail in the case of an
emergency due to insufficient testing and maintenance.
 The Functions of Legally Required Standby Power
Systems:
• System periodic testing and maintenance requirements are
essentially the same as for emergency systems.
• Power source is permitted to supply both legally required
standby system and optional standby system loads.
• But these depends the capacity the stand by power to handle
all this loads.
• If not enough it is provided to ensure adequate power to the
legally required standby circuits.
 Essential Electrical System Branches
1. Life Safety Branch
• Supplies power for lighting, receptacles and
equipment to perform the following functions:
– Exit signs and exit direction signs.
– Alarms and alerting systems.
– Emergency communications systems.
– Automatic doors used for emergency.
• Power must be supplied to the life safety branch from a
non-delayed automatic transfer switch.
 2. Critical Branch
• Supplies power for task illumination, fixed
equipment, selected stores and selected power
circuits for areas related to patient care.
• The purpose of the critical branch is to provide
power to a limited number of receptacles and
locations to reduce load and minimize the chances of
fault.
• The transfer switch(es) feeding the critical
branch must be automatic type.
 2. Critical Branch cont…

• Critical care areas. • Nurse call systems.

• Isolated power systems in • Blood, bone and tissue banks.
special environments. • Task illumination and selected
• Task illumination in the power circuits for the following:
following patient care areas: – cardiac catheterization labs
– Infant nurseries,
– coronary care units
– Medication prep areas,
– hemodialysis rooms
– Pharmacy,
– selected emergency room
– Selected acute nursing treatment areas
areas,
– intensive care units
– Psychiatric bed areas,
– selected postoperative
– Ward treatment rooms,
recovery rooms.
– Nurses’ stations.

May 17, 2021

 3 Equipment Branch
• Consists of major electrical equipment necessary for
patient care.
• Needed for patient care and basic healthcare facility
operation.
• Needed to be fed by a non-delayed automatic transfer
switch.
– Autoclaving equipment
– Suction
– Anesthesia
– Ventilators
– Laboratory equipment
– Patient monitoring equipment etc…
May 17, 2021
 Activity
1. What are the Power Supply Criteria Factors?
(explain) ?
2. State the difference between emergency power
system and stand by power system?
3. List and explain the devices to switch the critical
loads from the normal utility source to the
standby power source ?