ABLE EQUIPMENT RENTAL, INC. HIGHLIGHTS PRESIDENT OF ABLE RIGGING CONTRACTORS, INC., BARRY LICHTENSTEIN
NEW YORK - October 15, 2009 - ABLE Rental Equipment, Inc. was recently retained for a series of projects at New York area Hospitals in the event that their main source malfunctions. ABLE recently supplied temporary back-up power systems to Elmhurst, Kings County and Jacobi Hospitals. The installations ranged from basic installations to complex installs that involved reconfiguring control panels and main breakers. The hospitals needed to upgrade their emergency back-up systems due to the age and condition of the current systems, the need to install more environmentally friendly equipment, and the desire to improve systems with the latest technologies and increasing the size of the back-up system to accommodate an increased load within the hospital.
The project at Elmhurst Hospital was completed within four months and involved the installation of a 2000kW generator. ABLE Equipment's Power Expert, Dave Mansbart said that this project proved to be a challenge due to the placement of the generator in the street along the curb. The electricians had to run the cables 400 feet over the sidewalk and up to the roof of a fire department. A 6000 gallon auxiliary fuel tank was provided to support the generator and was placed on an ABLE trailer parked behind the generator along the curb. Jersey barriers were also provided to protect equipment in the event of a traffic accident.
The Kings County Hospital required the use of a 1000kW generator and a 3500 gallon auxiliary tank that was placed next to the generator. The project was completed within eight months of its start date. Kings County Hospital required the use of a back-up generator during its transition from its existing unit to a new unit. In addition to providing the equipment, ABLE technicians were available to perform routine maintenance on an ongoing basis.
“Jacobi Hospital was a challenging assignment due to the fact that the only available location for the temporary generator was behind the hospital. The area was at the bottom of a steep embankment with the electric room on the opposite side of the hospital. A crane was required to rig the generators from street level down to level ground where the generators could be placed closer to the building,” said Mansbart. “The existing switching gear at the hospital also posed a problem. ABLE crews had to add multiple dry contacts onto the main circuit breakers of the generators to mechanically indicate the breaker position.”
Crews on the jobsite also had to re-program the generator control panel to relinquish control of opening and closing of the generator breaker and pass the control over to the hospital switching gear. A cable that had to be run also posed problems at the Jacobi project. The cable was run over 400 feet, with the majority of the cable going through a crawlspace and then within the ceiling tiles down the hallways. The project at Jacobi Hospital is still ongoing.
Both Kings County and Elmhurst had a set-up that allowed the ABLE diesel generator to be connected to the hospital's automatic transfer switch (ATS), which monitors the incoming utility condition. Jacobi Hospital implemented a unique set-up to connect their back-up system. The existing system at Jacobi had a built in series of switching gears that monitors the utility power. In the event of an outage or brownout (a low voltage condition) the switching gear would start the generator and open the main circuit breakers on the utility side of their switch gear. After the breakers are verified as open, the switching gear would close the main breaker on the generator.
While the two types of systems were different, they both achieved the same results: the ability to monitor the incoming utility condition, starting the back-up generator, monitoring the generators power condition, preventing the sources from sharing a connection, checking to see when the system can go back to utility and shutting down the generator after the utility is restored. All of these operations happen automatically.
“There are several codes and certifications that certain end users including hospitals are required to follow when it comes to their back-up power systems,” said Mansbart. “A back-up power system at a healthcare facility must go from stand-by mode to full speed (providing usable voltage and frequency) within 10 seconds from receiving a signal to start. With this 10 second lights out period, any critical device inside of the facility is on a battery back-up (UPS) type system that can provide power during the time it takes the generator to come online. While on battery back-up, the device does not see any interruption in the power it needs to operate. “
According to Mansbart, the challenges of providing temporary generators to any facility will vary widely. The placement of the generator must be placed so that it does not impede emergency responders if there are other non-power related issues within the facility. Crews must also pay strict attention to the fresh air intake on the facility's HVAC system. Noise from the generator is also a major concern and when ABLE power specialists designed their generators they had to cover as many scenarios as possible. This design included using control panels that conform to NFPA standards, having paralleling gear installed in the generators, link boards that allow crews to change the voltage output to match that of the facility they are backing up, adjustable trip circuit breakers to protect the cables at the different supply voltages, high quality sound absorbing insulation and oversized air intake louvers to allow the generators to keep cool while running in the summer months.
“ABLE crews are extremely cautious when working at a hospital facility. ABLE is committed to providing high-quality equipment that gives customers the confidence that when called upon, the generator will function as required,” said Mansbart.
When working in hospital, extra steps are taken to ensure extra attention is paid to the details. This requires numerous meetings on-site with general contractors, hospital engineers and electricians. ABLE crews also provide great quantities of data regarding the generators, cables and switchgear to ensure that every detail is covered before work begins.
ABLE Rigging Contractors, Inc.
Founded in 1986, ABLE Rigging Contractors, Inc. has been a trusted providerof rigging services for over two decades, specializing in construction and industrial riggingservices and machinery moving.
We are comprised of service professionals dedicated to completing uniquerigging challenges in a safe and timely manner. Whether it is hundreds of feet in the air, at street level, or below ground, our licensed Master Riggers have completed thousands of projects varying in complexity and scope
The company excels at tower crane erection, dismantling and mobilizations; high rise, elevator shaft and other vertical rigging tasks; heavy lifting solutions, engineering analysis and rigging plans. We also offer trucking and logistics, warehousing, oversized load transport and escort services and DOT permitting. For more information on ABLE Rigging Contractors, visit our website www.ablerigging.com or email us at info@ablerigging.com.