Innovative Technology to the Rescue
As more hospital facility managers consider alternatives to conventional fire-tube boilers, such as on-demand steam systems that can achieve full steam in five minutes or less by rapidly heating much smaller amounts of water, saving energy and going green becomes an achievable goal. A multiple installation (“MI”) of such boilers
that can be promptly turned on or off as needed can provide not only “active” redundancy, but also flexibility in meeting variable load demands. Let’s use the example of a mid-sized hospital with a peak load requirement of 400BHP.

A traditional two-boiler, fire-tube configuration, because of lengthy start-up times, would require two 400BHP units running full-time with steam output adjusted to current demand.

However, with on-demand steam technology, the 400BHP fire tube units can be replaced with three 200BHP units while still maintaining the Joint Commission’s N+1 backup requirement. Two of the three units would provide < 400BHP while the third unit can remain cold until needed. In addition, the three-unit configuration allows for boilers to be rotated in and out of service for maintenance and to minimize wear and tear on any one unit (thus providing “active” redundancy). The result is an average 20 percent reduction in fuel costs, which over the lifespan of the units should pay for themselves several times over especially when considering the inevitable increases in fuel costs.

On-demand steam systems that can produce steam in five minutes from a cold start help make this scenario a reality. In fact, several leading hospitals across America have chosen multiple modular installation configurations to help reduce energy costs, including:
  • Duke Raleigh Hospital
  • Tuomey Healthcare System
  • Skyridge Medical Center
  • Bryce State Hospital
  • Shelby Baptist Medical Center
  • Community Memorial Hospital

Save Energy, While Saving Space
Accomplishing the goal of usable steam in five minutes required a rethinking of how boilers work to generate
steam. This led to a radical departure from conventional boiler technology and resulted in the creation of highly efficient, yet remarkably compact, units.

Instead of the traditional fire tube configuration – a central burner with water tubes encircling its perimeter – once through boilers arranged their tubes in a compact rectangular format that increases the surface area on the water pipes exposed to flame, which rapidly converts water to steam. The result is a compact design with a significantly smaller footprint that can cut space requirements and frees up utility room space to house other systems or even create additional workspace.

Also, incorporating compact boilers into facility design can help planners and architects reduce costs on new construction or expansion projects by reducing the size of the boiler room. With a national average of over $200 per square foot for new construction, compact, small-footprint boilers can help conserve natural resources and reduce construction costs even before the first concrete is poured.

Smarter Than Ever
To complement this energy and space-saving boiler design, these installations feature a sophisticated control system that can monitor demand and bring multiple boilers on- and off-line to achieve optimized energy management. In addition, the controller automatically rotates the lead boiler to ensure that all units undergo similar wear conditions and are operating at peak efficiency for the current demand.

Saving the Environment
When engineers set out to re-invent the steam boiler, emissions and the environment were in the forefront of their minds. In the process of developing compact and highly energy efficient on-demand steam systems, engineers looked at ways to reduce emissions, including nitrogen oxides (NOx), a major contributor to air pollution, and carbon dioxide (CO2), the most prevalent of greenhouse gases. By reducing the temperature of the boiler’s flame, they successfully reduced NOx emissions to around one-quarter of what traditional fire-tube boilers emit, complying with even the most stringent air quality requirements enforced in California.

However, emissions are not the only way that boilers impact the environment. Boilers use large amounts of water that requires chemical treatment to prevent corrosion and scale build-up on the boiler’s internal parts. Today there is a line of water-treatment chemicals to further optimize performance of these systems while conserving water. This eco-friendly, silicate-based water treatment system controls the effects of corrosive ions without the need for  environmentally harmful water-treatment chemicals.

A Greener Future
As the world begins to pay closer attention to our natural environment, more and more governments, businesses, educational institutions, and hospitals are implementing policies to help protect it. Mandates for the use of green products extend into all areas of the hospital including energy-efficient durable equipment, recycled building materials, and eco-friendly chemicals. To meet these directives, facilities managers need to search all areas of the hospital and identify green opportunities.

By shining the searchlight into your boiler room, you can begin building your green hospital  of the future from the ground up.

Learn More
If you are interested in learning more about on-demand steam systems and multiple modular installation configurations, please visit www.steamboilersforhospitals.com. There you will find additional resources including video segments addressing frequently asked questions about the benefits and advantages of once-through boilers and multiple- installation configuration. Topics include reducing fuel costs, lessening environmental impact, water conservation, and space-saving design. The site also features a video testimonial from Duke Raleigh Hospital, which recently added a third boiler to their existing once-through boiler configuration.

Jason Smith, LEED A.P., is the energy and environmental specialist atMiura North America, Inc., in Atlanta, GA. For additional information, please email jason.smith@miuraboiler.com.