South Yorkshire Hospital gains greater resilience and availability of critical electrical infrastructure
New substation delivers optimum uptime, safety, sustainability and operator interactions
Talk to a specialist about this project
0114 286 6000 or email at enquiries@baldwinandfrancis.com
CHALLENGE
As part of its general resilience and security-of-supply requirements, and its wider Green Delivery Plan, the Trust is undertaking a number of improvements and upgrades to its infrastructure.
One element of this program comprises an upgrade to its existing 11 kV power network, including the design, installation and commissioning of a new sub-station and spur, which will help to maintain and improve its existing electrical network.
Like many capital projects with a variety of multi-disciplinary teams on site, there is always a balancing act of scheduling, access and availability, all of which must be coordinated with the optimum operation of the hospital in mind, and the wellbeing of its staff and patients.
SOLUTIONS
Baldwin & Francis was commissioned by the managing consultant to design, develop, test and install a new 11KV Distribution Switchboard and ancillary panels for the new substation.
Working very closely with the consultant and the on-site plant engineers, a design was developed that met the precise needs of the Trust and its unique set of guidelines, while also including a number of value-add features that would not only help it with its uptime/resilience mandate, but also its safety and sustainability.
- MAXIMUM UPTIME – The panels’ use of withdrawable vacuum circuit breakers – delivers maximum flexibility and interchangeability. These breakers can be withdrawn easily and inserted into identical housings to ensure continuity of supply. If the circuit breakers were fixed, the changeout would incur considerable downtime.
- SUSTAINABILITY – The arc-suppression system used in the Baldwin & Francis cabinets is SF6-free. SF6 (Sulphur Hexafluoride) has a very high global-warming potential. A typical SF6-equipped circuit breaker could use up to 9 kg of SF6, the equivalent of 210t of CO2.
- SAFETY – The panels have AFLR IAC classification, the highest possible level. In the event of a fault, operators are protected not just from the front (AF), as offered by some competitors, but also laterally and to the rear (AFLR). The switchgear also complies with the latest IEC62271-100 & 200 standards.
- OPERABILITY – All the switchgear is suitable for remote operation. When selecting “Local” the customer can perform control circuit testing with the VCB truck in the “Test” position. When selecting “Remote” and with the truck in the “Service” position the breaker can be operated either from a Remote Operating Station, alternatively via a laptop using a suitable SCADA solution. This provides greater Operator safety.
OUTCOMES
Following assembly and build, the customer was invited on-site for the factory acceptance test (FAT) and was hugely impressed with the quality of the equipment and its multiple value-add features.
During the Installation period, Baldwin & Francis was incredibly flexible, adapting to the hospital’s timescales. When windows of opportunity were available, then these were used as quickly and efficiently as possible. The site services included a full turn key approach to managing the delivery via HIAB all the way through to the Site Acceptance Testing. We additionally carried out client operator and maintenance training.
The project was also affected by the global shortage of some key components. But with proper planning in place, the B&F procurement team made sure that this did not affect the critical path. The customer was kept fully informed of every major stage gate too, using a smart sheet approach, which provided full visibility of project timelines and critical component deliveries.
THE BALDWIN & FRANCIS DIFFERENCE
Every project Baldwin & Francis undertakes is different, with its own unique set of challenges and requirements. Customer choice and specific application demands drive our design-and-build programmes, so we can deliver precisely what our customers need.
In this project, as in all projects, we worked incredibly closely and highly effectively with the consultant and the Trust’s engineering staff to ensure optimum service delivery.
All feedback from this – and every other project we undertake – is fed back into our management system as part of our continuous-improvement plan, which will ultimately help us deliver even better projects and service next time.
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To find out how well we can meet your needs, call our support team on +44 (0)114 286 6000.
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