Securing operational reliability with hybrid solution for rural hospital

Segment background

Hospitals and other healthcare facilities are mission-critical applications and require continuous high-quality power to achieve the necessary service level. Modern healthcare facilities use expensive medical equipment for intensive care units, surgical operations, and other healthcare processes. The dynamic nature of the operation of modern medical equipment may lead to harmonic distortion and other power quality issues. Healthcare facilities may also be exposed to power outages and voltage sags if connected to the public grid. Power quality issues affect the service quality of healthcare providers, their operating costs, and patient safety and comfort. One of the foundational elements that ensure the seamless operation of a hospital is its power supply. The quality and consistency of electrical power can directly impact patient care, the effectiveness and accuracy of medical equipment, and overall hospital operations. For these reasons, having a redundant and easily expandable power quality solution is vital.

Challenges at the customer’s facility

Our customer operates a major rural referral centre and acute care hospital for specialty services in New South Wales, Australia. The hospital is filled with life-support systems, diagnostic equipment, and other devices that require a stable power supply. Even a short power glitch can disrupt the function of these machines, putting patients at risk. A stable and reliable power supply is imperative for the operation of life-critical systems and digital record-keeping. Any disruption can compromise patient safety and result in significant financial losses. Hospitals must be operational 24/7, and therefore, having a redundant and easily expandable power quality solution is essential to ensure continuous care and operational efficiency.

Our Merus^® Solution

With our local partner Ampcontrol, we delivered a Merus^® HPQ – Hybrid Power Quality Compensator to the site. Merus^® HPQ is a hybrid power quality compensator that combines two existing technologies in one compact and well-performing solution. Its operation is based on two main components: a detuned capacitor bank and an active harmonic filter. The detuned capacitor steps fulfill most of the capacitive reactive power needs. At the same time, the Merus^® active harmonic filter module handles the intermediate reactive power steps, filters harmonic currents, and balances unbalanced phase currents.

A small footprint and the possibility to expand the system in the future were vital in this case, as the hospital has currently a very limited space for a large amount of electrical equipment and a possible need to expand their operations in the future. With Merus^® HPQ, expanding the compensation system is effortless as each HPQ system functions without complex internal interdependencies. This simplicity allows for easy expandability, providing the adaptability needed to address changing load conditions and accommodate future expansion requirements.