Hybrid Combined Heat and Power Energy Plants for Laboratory Facilities

Richard McKown, Burns & McDonnell

An innovative approach to designing an integrated hybrid energy plant allows for improved reliability, redundancy, and efficiency for critical facilities.

In 2006, Burns & McDonnell completed construction of an energy plant to serve the Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas (DCMCCT). The plant is the first of its kind in the State of Texas using the combined heat and power (CHP) module to generate primary power, with the utility grid providing backup power. The plant utilizes a Solar Mercury 50 combustion turbine, heat recovery steam generator, packaged chiller plant and boiler, absorption cooling, and thermal energy storage to maximize system efficiency, operational flexibility, and reliability of services to the hospital. Another significant design factor is that the DCMCCT has established a goal of becoming the first LEED^® Platinum hospital in the world. The hospital and the hybrid energy plant will be submitted as a single project. The hybrid packaged CHP energy plant will be the first in the nation to be evaluated by LEED for energy efficiency credits. The project is on track to receive 8 to 10 energy efficiency points under the proposed LEED Energy and Atmosphere scoring criteria.

Some of the benefits that the integrated CHP plant provides include:

• Cleaner Normal Power: Local generation is anticipated to provide fewer sags and surges. Conversion from primary power to grid backup is measured in "cycles" rather than "seconds."
• More backup power: Both grid backups supply 100 percent of the facility needs not just its life safety requirements. This means that every outlet and all building power and equipment will continue to run even in emergency conditions.
• More reliable backup power: Probability of failure of the traditional "grid plus backup" is 67 percent, according to Primen Perspective's RX for Health Care Power Failures, DE-PP-24, 11/2003.
• "Island" power: In the event of a grid failure due to natural or terrorist causes, this strategic community asset will remain in operation when it is likely to be needed most.

A hybrid CHP energy plant is a unique system designed for efficiently producing electricity and steam and cooling more efficiently and with lower emissions than traditional methods. They can also provide cleaner and more reliable power than traditional delivery methods. CHP is not a new technology, but many new technological advances, design approaches, and partnerships with local utility companies in order to better package the production and sale of power have greatly improved the financial justification for CHP plants. This presentation will provide insight into the design of the hybrid energy plant and present features and benefits to this type of system approach.

Biography:

Richard McKown is the engineering manager for the Healthcare and Research Facilities Group at Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company in Kansas City, Missouri.

He specializes in project management, mechanical engineering design, and construction administration for health care, commercial, and industrial facilities. He has a Bachelor of Science in architectural engineering from Kansas State University and a Master's degree in engineering management from the University of Kansas. He is a licensed mechanical engineer as well as a licensed fire protection engineer. His experience includes the design of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, process piping, fire protection, medical gas systems, equipment room design, and medical equipment installations.

He is a member of ASHRAE and has over 15 years of experience in the design and construction of HVAC systems with a significant focus on central utility plants. He is currently serving as the project manager for a CHP plant to serve a 1,200-bed cancer hospital for Shands HealthCare in Gainesville, Florida.

He was previously involved in the design of a 280,000-square-foot research and test facility for the Ethyl Corporation in Richmond, Virginia. This facility houses wet and analytical laboratories for fuel and lubricant research, engine test cells for fuel and lubricant mechanical durability and performance testing, and support facilities for fuel and oil blending, bench tests, and field tests. He was responsible for the HVAC design, construction follow-up and shop drawing review for the mechanical portions of the project. He was responsible for trouble shooting the balancing of the laboratory fume hood system.

Back to Agenda