Damvent

BMI, the largest  healthcare consortium in the UK, with 59 hospitals and clinics throughout the UK; 6000+ consultant specialists; 1 500 000 outpatient visits per year etc, decided in 2016 to start a new project for the installation of new Urgent Care Center (UCC) and Oncology departments at BMI The Princess Margaret Hospital, Windsor, Berkshire.

The new Urgent Care Center (UCC) department is located on the ground floor of the building. This department will have its own dedicated air handling plant to serve the new treatment, consultant areas and prep store. This AHU needs to meet and exceed all of the requirements of the HTM 03-1-hygienic, quality and energy efficiency. The new air handling unit will be located externally on the roof above the area on a big foot frame with anti-vibration mounts.

Having all the above in mind, at the end of 2016, BMI turned to consultants Richard Stephens Partnership for help.  The leading HVAC consultant of The Princess Margaret project, Andy Lee, after doing thorough research on the project, decided to go with a packaged unit (plate heat exchanger, heat pump and integrated controls) and specified one of the Damvent’s second-generation hygienic e-conomizers max.e2-03H (3200m3/h), because it was meeting and exceeding all of the above requirements without compromising on quality or performance. In January 2017 Richard Stephens Partnership turned to Energy Efficient Equipment Ltd for a quotation, the order was placed in May 2017, and the fully functional and pre-tested AHU was delivered in August 2017.  

The selected AHU had to face several challenges and overcome them, namely:

Due to the hospital being in the midst of a residential area, the air handling plant had to be very quiet. Because of its location and the requirement for low noise levels required by the HTM 03-1, the AHU is equipped with the highest efficiency and low noise Ziehl-Abegg EC fans. This, together with the 50mm thick skin panels filled with Rockwool insulation, allows the AHU to have average noise levels, 1 meter from the machine, at 55.6 dBA. This is quieter than the noise you get in a BMW 7 Series-58dBA at 100km/h, the quietest car, according to the Top 30 Quietest Cars (AUTO BILD test). This overall reduces the noise pollution inside and around the hospital.

In order to meet the high energy efficiency requirements, the AHU’s combined heat recovery of the heat pump and the plate heat exchanger can reach up to 100%(under certain conditions). Furthermore, the compressors in the heat pump are capacity-controlled by a frequency inverter, which on its own improves temperature control and energy efficiency. Thus the machine is not only meeting, but it is also exceeding the energy efficiency requirements according to the HTM 03-1.

 To meet the HTM 03-1 hygienic requirements, the AHU internal skin and component supports are fully made of stainless steel, the heating/cooling coils are manufactured from copper tubes with copper fins electro tinned and with filtration efficiency F9. The inside of the plant is as smooth as possible. Channels, rolled angles or formed sections that could trap or hold moisture are kept to a minimum.

 The AHU has to be easily accessible during routine inspections and maintenance, so it is fitted with doors that provide easy access to all critical components, windows and bulkhead lights inside of it. 

The max.e2-03H (3200m3/h) was successfully commissioned at the end of September by two commissioning engineers from the Damvent factory.

We would like to thank all parties involved in this project:

 BMI,

Andy Lee from Richard Stephens Partnership,

The installing contractor Arnold James (St Albans) Ltd,

And last but not the least Energy Efficient Equipment Ltd-Phil Bullock