THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR HEALTHCARE ENGINEERING • SUMMER 2013
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ENERGY IDEAS THAT WORK
>>FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE: COMMISSIONING IS KEY PARTNERING WITH ENERGY PROVIDERS FINDING THE RIGHT ROAD ON YOUR ENERGY EFFICIENCY JOURNEY OVERCOMING REAL-WORLD BARRIERS TO EFFICIENCY THE IMPORTANCE OF FOCUSING ON THE DELIVERY OF VALUE Feature Chilled Can they work Beams in U.S. hospital patient rooms? By Damon Greeley and Amy Jarvis, with Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch
hilled beams are a type of convection HVAC system designed to heat or cool large buildings. They
have been employed PHOTO COURTESY OF TROX USA successfully in Europe for Active chilled beams maintain a suffi cient discharge velocity to maintain a fully mixed room air distribution. Cmore than 20 years, but in the United States their use is limited. Within the The conditioned air then mixes with the Standard 170: Ventilation of Health Care past few years, however, interest in ducted (primary) air and is discharged Facilities, which permits active chilled using chilled beams has grown, fueled into the space by means of linear slots beams for secondary air movement in by the technology’s energy-saving located along the outside edges of the patient rooms. potential, ease of use, and minimal space beam. Passive chilled beams use natural air requirements. Active chilled beams are typically currents in a room rather than forced Chilled beams can be active or mounted above the occupied zone induction. While good for other types of passive. Climate zones in the contiguous and maintain a sufficient discharge buildings, they are not ideal for health United States are ranked from one to velocity to maintain a fully mixed room care facilities because the air change seven, with seven being the least humid air distribution. They employ a dilution rates are far lower than those needed to and with the lowest average summer ventilation strategy that manages the comply with health care building codes. temperatures (see map on page 27). This level of airborne gaseous and particulate This article focuses on active chilled air is injected through a series of nozzles contaminants. Variations of the standard beams and their use in health care within the beam to entrain room air. An active chilled beam also exist that may patient rooms. active chilled beam induces room air be mounted at low level to drive a Chilled beams have the same through a high free area section within displacement-style air distribution. properties as overhead ventilation— its face and through the integral heat The Facility Guidelines Institute’s 2010 the air is moved upward in a natural transfer coil, where it is conditioned in Guidelines for Design and Construction of convection pattern similar to response to a space thermostat demand. Healthcare Facilities references ASHRAE displacement ventilation.
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Use in U.S. climate zones There are several current U.S. patient Successful rooms with chilled beam installations, including the University of California at Installation Davis; Yale University Hospital Expansion with a constant volume circulation pump, in Connecticut, Wellmont Health Holston Mazz etti Nash Lipsey Burch partnered bridge, and three-way thermostatic Valley Medical Center in Tennessee, and with Holston Valley Medical Center, a mixing valve with temperature probe/ Vanderbilt University Medical Center in medical center in Kingsport, Tenn., with control to maintain minimum 55 degree Tennessee. more than 500 beds. The medical center chilled beam cooling loop supply Most of the chilled beam installations is part of the Wellmont Health System, temperature. in U.S. patient rooms have heretofore which includes eight facilities in Tennessee Once the chilled beam was installed, a been in relatively mild and dry climates. and Virginia. The goal was to work with control system was set up to trend space Climate zones in the contiguous Unisted the staff at Holston Valley to review the temperature and humidity, space heating States are ranked from one to seven, with benefits, barriers, and energy use impacts and cooling set point, space dew point, seven being the least humid and with the of an active chilled beam installation in a chilled water supply temperature and lowest average summer temperatures. patient room. “We like to think ourselves valve position, chilled beam supply air The first two facilities mentioned above as forward thinking, supportive of ASHE, temperature, and dedicated outdoor air (in California and Connecticut) are and extremely proactive when it comes unit supply air temperature located in climate zone four and five, to efficiency and saving energy, which a The initial results from this installation The last two projects (both in Tennessee) chilled beam application in our facility has are very promising. The team noticed are notable due to the fact that they the potential to do,” said Jim Moore, vice improved air circulation around the beam are located in climate zone three, a president of facilities for Wellmont Health and the patient bed compared to the mixed/humid climate, which provides System. previous system, which had an overhead more challenges in terms of potential Also participating in the study were diffuser and return located at the door. condensation. Trox USA, Thermal Resource Sales, Comfort Not a single patient complaint was Systems Mechanical Contractors & recorded or reported to the maintenance The benefits Controls, KAE Electric, and the Tennessee staff, even though complaints had been The benefits of chilled beams include Department of Health. received about the room’s thermal improved indoor air quality, lower The team wanted to explore comfort previously, and patients in other operating costs, less maintenance, thermal implications for maintenance costs and rooms continued to experience thermal comfort, lower noise, and a simplified patient comfort in addition to energy comfort problems. The beam even technology that results in a reduction in savings. The team also wanted to test the provided the ability to overcool the room, the size of equipment. system as a way to provide more data to which could not be done previously. In addition, chilled beams can offer support regulatory agencies’ consideration The success of the project was significant energy savings. Studies have of chilled beams in health care settings. measured by ASHRAE 55 and ASHRAE shown that up to 75 percent of the For the installation, Holston Valley 62 and the performance of the chilled energy use of traditional HVAC systems Medical Center chose an obstetrics wing beam system was validated through room is associated with fan energy. Reduction general medicine surgical room with a environmental performance trending data of energy consumption in health care southern-facing exposure and recent through the building automation system. buildings supports improved health care upgrades to the glazing/skin of the Since the successful test, Holston Valley delivery as well as reducing carbon and building, as this would challenge a beam’s Medical Center has decided to install a other greenhouse gases associated with thermal performance. larger-scale chilled beam system on its energy production and consumption. In To assure proper room temperature, campus. The data confirmed first cost and some cases, potential energy reduction humidity, and ventilation, ASHRAE 55 and lifecycle cost savings as well as energy can be as high as 30 to 40 percent, ASHRAE 62 prescriptive testing occurred savings based on eliminating the fan coil depending on climate, space type, during the testing period. The ASHE Health motor once the dedicated outdoor air hours of operation, and thermal comfort Facility Commissioning Guidelines were system dehumidification cycle and neutral requirements. used for the commissioning procedures. air modifications were completed. Warmer Chilled beam systems use less energy A two-pipe linear active chilled beam chilled water temperatures also provide than traditional HVAC systems in three was installed in the ceiling grid above the energy savings, but were not quantified in primary ways. First, they require less foot of the patient bed without the use this study. fan energy since room air is induced as of a final filter. As a proxy to a dedicated “Given the immense cost pressures to opposed to a traditional HVAC system outdoor air unit, the beam was served by deliver health care today, we absolutely that uses fan power an existing constant volume four-pipe need to take advantage of technologies, (hot water and chilled water) fan coil unit. such as chilled beams, that reduce first, The chilled water was piped from existing energy, and life cycle costs within our continued on page 27>> building chilled water supply and return facilities,” Moore said. www.ashe.org 25 room is comprised. For example, a recent chilled beam installation in a patient room Most of the chilled beam installations began to sweat when a family member in U.S. patient opened a window. However, this can also rooms have occur in overhead distribution systems. heretofore been in relatively mild Managing the “people” element of and dry climates, building performance with chilled beam though some have systems is key to success, just as it is with been installed in zone three. Credit: other kinds of ventilation systems. Map based on Cost can also be a concern, especially 2009 International in areas where chilled beams have not Energy Conservation Code. been widely installed and there is little experience with their use. In areas of the to move air. Second, they use less energy economizing-associated components for country where chilled beams have been for cooling since the beams can use air handling units. used more frequently, there is often warmer water than a traditional chilled little to no premium cost over a similar water plant. Third, chilled beams can be Barriers traditional HVAC system. According to readily combined with heat recovery The primary concern with chilled Turner Construction, one of the nation’s technologies, which reduce heating beam use is potential condensation. largest construction firms, the cost varies energy. However, these systems have shown that based on regional factors, including labor The simplified technology in chilled they can operate successfully in many costs and experience with installing chilled beams results in smaller ductwork and air climate zones, including many humid beam systems. handlers and may even result in reduced environments. The key is in proper Turner has modeled a total-cost- maintenance costs. The primary airflow design and installing the right controls. of-ownership life cycle cost analysis for chilled beams is often less than half If the design and controls are working, comparing chilled beam of that needed for traditional variable air these beams do not condense. systems with traditional volume (VAV) systems. In addition, chilled Chilled beam systems will drip beam technology requires no airside (condense) if environmental control in a continued on page 28>> What Is Your Maintenance Response Time?
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www.ashe.org 27 633311_Berner.indd 1 30/04/13 4:39625011_Facility.indd AM 1 10/04/13 8:45 PM chiller VAV systems. A recent internal systems can be cost-neutral or even cost chilled beams systems will be installed analysis by Turner for a facility in the slightly less than traditional systems if in facilities in nearly every energy Southeast indicated that a chilled beam they are designed and installed correctly. climate zone. system was about 1 percent less expensive Proper design and installation requires in project first costs. The maintenance greater due diligence applied to the HVAC What’s next? and repair costs over seven years (without system selection process, coupled with Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch has adjustments) were about equal to experiential knowledge-sharing of lessons undertaken a research project at Holston traditional systems. Of course, the cost learned from other sites. Valley Medical Center [see “A Successful effectiveness of any system will vary by Overcoming these barriers and Installation” on page 25] to look at all region, labor costs, and regional factors, challenges will require more reporting aspects of chilled beam technology, and the actual life cycle costs will likely on successful installations. As more including infection risks, overall patient vary from projected costs. However, this installations occur and the benefits and staff safety, energy consumption, modeling demonstrates that chilled beam become widely known, more and more and comfort. There is a need for the health care industry, regulatory bodies, and the policy community to understand the maintenance and service aspects associated with chilled beam systems, and there is a need 0 for compiled and analyzed data on 55 5 years years chilled beam technologies. Preliminary results are positive but will continue to 50 10 be monitored to assess the following years years information over time: 1. Room temperature and humidity levels 45 15 years years 2. Airflow and room particle movement patterns surrounding the patient bed in various patient/staff/family manikin 40 20 arrangement scenarios. years yearsy 3. Accumulation of dust, debris, dander, 35 25 etc., on the chilled beam years 30 years Testing results will be shared with years ASHE in an effort to coordinate knowledge about these technologies. Some measure the life of a roof in years. Us? We measure in decades.
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