Award Winning High Voltage Power Generation for Gloucester Hospital!
The Generator Power team is thrilled to be awarded Project of the Year at the 2023 AMPS Awards for Excellence last November! The team worked tremendously hard on the HV deployment that earned us this award.
In early 2023 our team collaborated with Cummins to complete a huge high voltage deployment for Gloucester Hospital NHS Trust whilst they performed upgrades to their own generator systems. The purpose of this temporary installation was to maintain back up resilience whilst the hospital works were carried out.
The Challenge
We had to design an installation to overcome a black start at the hospital. The generator package needed to start automatically in the event of a mains failure without the use of an Automatic Mains Failure (AMF) panel, synchronise all six generators, and energise the hospital HV switch board with a single supply; all within a 2-minute outage report. We also required a site large enough to accommodate our kit as well as be able to manoeuvre all of our kit with minimal interruption to the public and hospital operations.
The Solution
Testing
During design, tests were carried out within our head office location to ensure the system would start all six generators and allow the units to parallel and energise the circuit breakers. Delayed sequential starting ensured each generator was brought online and allowed to parallel safely. Extensive testing was carried out to ensure the HV system could energise and close a single point of isolation to take the hospital wing’s full load without load shedding.
Overview
We were allocated a site to use for the duration of the hospital upgrades, located next to the generator building, which was large enough to house our generators, fuel tanks, transformers and health and safety equipment.
This project allowed Generator Power to showcase the capabilities and expertise within this specialist field. Utilising our fleet of Atlas Copco QAC1250 units, with Cummins’ KTA SOG3 engines. The generator sets provided six megawatts of power at 400v. Our multi tap step up transformers, designed specially by Wilson Power Solutions, were then used to provide 11,000 Volts through a specialist containerised switchgear. Final connections were made, using our flexible HV cables, directly into the hospital HV switchboard.
In order to ensure the system could be energised quickly, the system had a constant delivery of power using an Atlas Copco 500kVA unit. This unit simply energised the HV transformers and cables and provided life support to the LV generator sets.
The deliveries were carefully co-ordinated with the hospital estates department and Cummins planning team to ensure minimum disruption to staff, patients, and visitors. As a result, equipment was installed during the weekend and particularly quiet times.
The project was one of the largest undertaken this year with 4 days of electrical installation utilising 8 team members, 8 trailer mounted units and lorry mounted cranes.
The entire installation was installed on aluminium trackway supplied by Generator Power’s sister company Trackway Solutions. Temporary fencing was installed around the equipment to provide a fully enclosed HV compound, which was under the control of Generator Power at all times.
Generator Power carried out full fuel management for the project. Utilising our in-house fuel team, real time telemetry monitoring and on-site engineering support allowed us to monitor, manage and plan fuel deliveries effectively and efficiently. Large fuel storage tanks were located within our Newport depot location to ensure rapid fuel supply in the event the generators were required.
Health & Safety, Security
120 aluminium trackway panels were used to provide a safe and secure compound and protect the hospital carpark. All equipment was installed and earthed to the aluminium trackway to protect against touch and step potential in the event of an earth fault developing.
The equipment was secured utilising temporary fencing and 24/7 on site security, employed to prevent unauthorised access to the compound.
Equipment Supplied
- 6x Atlas Copco 1250kVA Diesel Generators
- 6x Containerised Wilson Power 1250kVA YnYn0 400v to 11kv Transformers
- 1x Containerised 8-way HV switchboard.
- 120x aluminium trackway panels.
- 3 Kilometres of LV cabling
- 300 metres of HV cabling
AMPS Awards for Excellence – Project of the Year
AMPS (the Association of Manufacturers and suppliers of Power generating Systems) is the established voice of the UK’s manufacturers and suppliers of power systems and ancillary equipment.
This innovative deployment earned us the project of the year award at the AMPS awards for excellence in November 2023. You can read more about the 2023 AMPS awards and the other award winners here!
NHS Trust Gloucester Hospitals
If you require any information on the hospitals in and around the Gloucestershire area, such as services or how to find them, visit the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust website here.
