Toshiba answers hospital emergency
28th September 2020
UK: Toshiba SHRM-e heat recovery VRF air conditioning has been installed as part of a fast-track project for the new NHS Nightingale Hospital at Exeter.
The 116-bed facility, operated by the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, is part of the UK’s network of seven Nightingale hospitals designed to treat patients with coronavirus, and remains on standby in case extra capacity is needed.
The air conditioning project – supported by some 5km of electrical cabling – was designed and installed in seven weeks, and includes 46 Toshiba SHRM-e units linked to Toshiba 14kW cassettes.
The system serves hospital wards, testing facilities, meeting rooms and clinical support areas. A Toshiba split system also cools the hospital’s server room.
“It is a substantial project and involved high heat gains due to the intensive care medical equipment used on wards. It required careful planning due to the complexities of the site and the critical healthcare application,” said Gary Tidball, who headed the design and installation project for M&E contractor TClarke.
“Seven-day-a-week working was required to meet the project timetable, and early on in the project, Toshiba’s regional sales manager Wayne Dolley himself delivered units to site over a weekend to ensure work could progress,” he added.
To optimise air circulation and cooling, TClarke converted the 4-way cassettes to two-way units, augmenting lateral coverage along the length of the wards. Closing off two side-outlets in this way delivers increased cooling and air-throw to the remaining open louvres.
