Hospitals Innovative HVAC Designs

By
DC PRO Engineering
 Design of Healthcare Facility

Hospital Design

1-Complex .

2-Unique.

3-Hospital = City

Planning:

1-The Functional program

2-The space program

3-Room Data Sheets

 Typical GCC Hospital HVAC Design
Current Problems

• High Design cooling Load demand 10 to 18 m2 / Ton vs 25 to 35 m2 / Ton for similar

institutional buildings.
• High Energy Usage estimated > 450 kwh / year / m2 as compared to 309 kwh / year / m2 in
USA .
• High capital cost of A/C system running at US$ 7,000 to US$ 9,000 / Ton of cooling.
• Large and long extensive air side duct work with extensive air purification and treatment.

• Sensible heat recovery only for fresh air and exhaust air stream in the most humid area in the
world leading to high internal humidity and high energy consumption (75 to 80 BTU/Hr /
CFM).
• Extensive use of VAV boxes and electric re-heat with high capital and operating cost with
possible cold and noisy air draft and may requires maintenance in the inpatient room area.
• Extensive use of Filtration MERV 7 & 14 as well as HEPA filter, UV light, etc. requiring extensive
capital and replacement cost as well as fan energy.
 Typical GCC Hospital Real Energy Consumption

Monthly Energy (Ton-Hour)

12,000,000
10,466,919 Monthly Energy
10,102,484 10,328,752
10,000,000
8,454,740 8,428,751
8,000,000
6,097,350
5,699,603
6,000,000
4,248,106
4,000,000 3,600,880
3,204,699 2,966,414
2,577,041
2,000,000

0
Apr-2014 May-2014 Jun-2014 Jul-2014 Aug-2014 Sep-2014 Oct-2014 Nov-2014 Dec-2014 Jan-2015 Feb-2015 Mar-2015

25,006
 Design cooling load: 25,006 Ton 30,000 20,502
Capacity (Ton)
 Actual Peak cooling Load: 20,502 Ton
 Average Annual Load: 8,696 Ton 20,000
Estimated Peak Load
 Estimated FLH: 3,716 (Ton-Hr / Peak Load Ton) (Ton)
10,000
 The Estimated Peak Load is 82% of the total Design
capacity.
0
 Hospital Facilities HVAC Requirements
ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170 & FGI Guideline for Hospital Ventilation

•Need to restrict air movement in and between departments.

•ASHRAE Specific requirements for ventilation and filtration to dilute and remove contamination
(odor, air born microorganisms and viruses, hazardous chemicals and radioactive substances) (Exp.: 2
ACH for FA & 4 ACH for adequate air movement for Patient room as per ASHRAE and 4 ACH as per FGI)
while Facility Guideline Institute FGI specify 6 ACH of Fresh Air that may be reduced to 4 when using
supplementary cooling.
•Different temperature and humidity requirements for various areas.
•Design sophistication needed for accurate control of environmental conditions.

The HVAC system is a key component

of facility safety and infection control
through containment, dilution and
removal of pathogens and toxins.
 DC PRO ENGINEERING
Innovative Hospital Solution

• Underfloor and wall Radiant Cooling for all spaces including patient rooms allowing major reduction in
Chilled water plant (14OC LCHW temp.) No Air Movement, Filtration and Zero Fan power.
• Increased fresh air (4 ACH) and Elimination of all recirculating air improving indoor air quality and substantially
reducing duct work and fan power.
• Introducing the zero cross contamination and zero air contact liquid desiccant heat recovery between Fresh
air and exhaust air streams with total heat recovery reducing input energy to < 40 BTU / HR / CFM.
• Eliminating all Energy wasting Reheat need for VAV boxes.
• Reducing Capital and operating Energy cost.
• Simplifying Maintenance and reducing parts and labor replacement cost.
 DC PRO ENGINEERING
Ventilation Requirements
ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170 Hospital Ventilation

• Radiant Cooling Systems:

If radiant cooling is utilized, the wall and Ground
surface temperature (15 to 18OC ) shall always
remain above the dew-point temperature of the
space (12.07OC at 23OC / 50% RH indoor cond.).

• Air Distribution Systems:

Group A
- Patient-care areas shall utilize ducted systems Recommended
for return and exhaust air.
- Supply air outlets for a single-bed patient
room shall be Group A, Group D or Group E
(Table 6.7.2)

- Surface of air distribution device shall be

suitable for cleaning.

Group D Group E
 DC PRO ENGINEERING
Ventilation Requirements

• Filtration:
All of the air provided to a space shall be MERV 7 MERV 14
filtered in accordance with Table 6.4 except for
spaces that allow recirculating HVAC room
units.
Inpatient Care:
Upstream filter Bank
No.1 MERV 7, Filter Bank No. 2 MERV 14
Optional Downstream filter Bank (Used)
ULPA, HEPA Filter & UV Light

UV Light

HEPA
Filter ULPA
Filter
 DC PRO ENGINEERING
Ventilation Requirements

ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170 Ventilation of Health Care Facilities

• Space Ventilation:
This Standard shows minimum ventilation requirements for control of environmental comfort, asepsis and odor
in health care facilities.
Spaces shall be ventilated according to Table 7.1
 DC PRO ENGINEERING Unique Approach
Double Heat Recovery Fresh Air with ULPA / HEPA Filters
Exceptionally approved for DC PRO by Dubai Municipality

ULPA Filter
Capture 0.1 Microns
most viruses
including Corona

HEPA Filter
Capture 0.3 Microns
most bacterias
 DC PRO ENGINEERING Unique Approach benefits
Heat Recovery where & How?

• ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170 Ventilation of Health Care Facilities table 7.1 specifies
the minimum outdoor nos. of air changes and which spaces requires direct exhaust to
outside such as anesthesia, Emergency Room (ER) waiting room, etc.
• Typically 2/3 of the hospital exhaust air can pass via heat recovery fresh air handling unit
and 1/3 shall be exhausted directly to outside.
• Standard 170 as well as FGI allows exhaust to outside not treated and hence all airborne
viruses and bacteria are released freely to atmosphere putting maintenance staff,
medical staff, occupants an visitors at risk. DC PRO solution is to put an Hepa filter on all
exhaust air stream for personnel protection and allowing energy recovery via ultra low
cross contamination heat recovery wheel for the allowed 2/3 portion.
 DC PRO ENGINEERING Unique Approach benefits
Double Heat Recovery Fresh Air with ULPA / HEPA Filters

• Usage of US made thermal wheel with near zero cross contamination.

• Use of HEPA filters on return exhaust air protects Hospital staff from Viruses and
bacteria exposures.

• HEPA Filters eliminates the risk of any cross contamination between exhaust and fresh
air.

• Allows full heat recovery and ultimate crucial indoor humidity control essential for
virus and bacteria spread control and patient health ,saving up to 80% of fresh air
energy.

• ULPA filter on supply air stream protect all resident of the hospital from air bourn
viruses & Bacteria .
Importance of Humidity control between 45 and 55% on
patient health and spread of disease
 2/3 of total fresh air

1/3 of total fresh air

 DC PRO ENGINEERING
Radiant Cooling

Concept of Radiant Cooling

• Hydronic radiant systems are air-and-water systems that separate

the task of ventilation and thermal space conditioning by using:

1- Primary air distribution to fulfill the ventilation requirements

2- Secondary water distribution system to thermally cool the space

(sensible heat only)

These systems reduce the amount of air transported

through buildings significantly:

A- Ventilation is provided by outside air systems

without affecting the recirculating air

B- Radiation provides most of the cooling using chilled

water (14 to 16OC) as the transport medium
 DC PRO ENGINEERING
Radiant Cooling can apply for inpatient rooms and
rooms requiring fresh air of less than 4 ACH
Advantages

< 5% of the fan energy that would otherwise

Better indoor air quality, control be necessary for the same amount of thermal
and zoning of the system while energy
keeping comfort conditions

Ductwork is 20% of the space

requirements of conventional 45 -50 W/𝑚𝑚2
HVAC systems, reducing cost for
hydronics cooling.
45 -50
W/𝑚𝑚2
Est. Cooling capacity

30-35 W/𝑚𝑚2
 DC PRO ENGINEERING
3D Model of Typical Patient Room
VAV Box 100% F.A. (11.4 ACH)
240 L/S with 1.9 KW reheat Small Supply 100% F.A (4 ACH)
85 L/S and exhaust ducts
15 x 10 Cm
Large Supply and Exhaust
ducts > 120 x 50 Cm

External Control Panel

accessible from Corridor

Typical current HVAC System with VAV box DC PRO proposed Radiant cooling with
& 6 ACH as min FA & 11.4 ACH as design dedicated Fresh Air & 4 ACH as FA
 DC PRO ENGINEERING
Capex & Opex Comparison

• Traditional HVAC System • Innovative HVAC System

1 Ton Room load + 3.4 Ton 100% Fresh Air 1 Ton Room load + 0.7 Ton 4 ACH Fresh Air
Load ( 240 L/S) Load ( 85 L/S)

• Capital cost: US $ 18,398 / Room • Capital cost: US $ 8,243 / Room

(Including CHW plant) Or US $ 4,182 / Ton (Including CHW plant) Or US $ 4,860 / Ton

Annual Operating Cost: US $ 1,871 / Room Annual Operating Cost: US $ 659 / Room
 Use of Fan Coil units (FCU) in Hospitals
Inpatient rooms should be prohibited

- ASHRAE Standard 170-2017 requires MERV 7 (50mm thick as min.) upstream and Merv
14 (Bag filter) downstream for all inpatient rooms with exception 7.1 p8 allowing FCU
with MERV 6 for portion of recirculating air serving single patient room and Dubai
Health Care authority (DHA Part E) discourage the use of fan coil units.

- Although most modern design avoid using FCU, many hospitals in GCC use standard FCU
units in patients’ rooms with standard 1” cleanable filter MERV 6 that gives them a
substantial cost advantage as compared to AHU with proper filtration and VAV unit for
each room.

- The FCU during operation is being completely dismantled

and disinfected every 3 months by some hospitals and
putting the room out of service for two days.

• The filters housing shall be durable and shall provide airtight fit via proper gaskets to
stop any bypass of air.
 Better alternative for FCU usage in health care - ICM
Unit
Withdrawable Coil and
Drain pan that facilitate
disinfection with full
dismantling

• Suitable for Healthcare Facility and compatible with

MERV 7 Requirement, as it has a MERV 9 filter built in

• Ultra Low noise for Patient Rooms

• High Static Pressure will allow the unit to be installed

outside the patient room for easy maintenance without
the need to access the room and its coil and filter are
easily withdrawn without the spread of viruses

• The top of the range ICM can have a Zone Controller with
each room that can control room ambient temperature,
lighting control, venetian blinds raised or lowered,
control ventilation air, occupancy sensor.
 DC PRO ENGINEERING
ICM Unit vs Standard FCU

• MERV 9 filter
• MERV 5-6 filter
• Removable filter and coil, resulting in ease of
maintenance • Have to disassemble unit to clean filter and
coil
• Both supply and extract are from the front of
the unit, fresh air inlet from the side that can • Need to utilize mixing box to add fresh air
be unused as Fresh air should go from AHU into the unit
with proper filtration with zone control valve • Can be noisy when installed inside the
for each room room
• Ultra Low Noise
ASHRAE Standard 170 -2017 Ventilation of health Care Facilities – Filtration Requirement
ASHRAE Standard 170 -2017 Ventilation of health ASHRAE Standard 170 -2017 Ventilation of
Care Facilities – Exception 7.5 P8 health Care Facilities – Radiant Cooling Use

At 22OC / 50% R.H. the dew point temperature is

11.15 OC and hence chilled water temperature
recommended to be above 12.5 OC.
Standard 52.2-2017, Method of Testing General Ventilation Air-Cleaning
 Hospitals Utility Building

- Through years of development and optimization where DC Pro were involved in the design and
construction of more than 60 central utility plant rooms; we can significantly optimize the
design of the utility block and provide the required utilities within the allocated 60 x 30 m plot
with lowest possible costs and with the following main benefits that can be achieved:

 Reduced building total built up area leading to reduced civil cost

 Optimized equipment & process requirements
 Avoid oversizing and excessive use of additional items as observed in numerous projects
 Lowest possible capital costs
 Faster construction time
 Simplified building arrangement with ample service space
Converting standard Patient Room
into an
Isolation Room
In the event of pandemic
 Converting standard Patient Room into an Isolation Room In
the event of pandemic

• Most Private hospitals have one or two isolation rooms as per the pre-
pandemic regulations.

• A standard patient room has minimum fresh air of 2 ACH and minimum
total circulating air of 4 ACH. Room pressure is neutral

• An airborne infection isolation room type AII intended for room has
minimum fresh air of 2 ACH and minimum total circulating air of 12 ACH.
AII room require negative pressure of -30 pa and exhaust air extracted
directly to outside via an Hepa filter to stop any virus or bacteria spread
out of the room.

• Hence it is important to increase the air circulation without the need to

replace the existing A/C. The best way to deal with that is to add a
portable HEPA filter with 8 ACH to be added to the room.
 Converting standard Patient Room into an Isolation Room In
the event of pandemic (cont’d)

• The Extracted air from the toilet od f standard room need to be modified
and isolated from central exhaust and redirected via a temporary duct
work directly to an HEPA filter & then directly to outside. The portable unit
should be located in the room as close as possible o the patient bed but
not to obstruct the patient or medical staff circulation.

• The negative pressure need to be monitored and controlled at -2.5 Pa pa

as per Ashrae standard 170-2017 and up to -30 Pa for other standards.

• To create a temporary ant room and to minimize leakage during door

opening, a heavy-duty plastic curtain can be used at the end of entrance
room corridor.
 EXHAUST AIR FRESH AIR EXHAUST AIR
FRESH AIR Min Air Flow Min Air Flow
Min Air Flow
Min Air Flow 200 m3/Hr (2 ACH) 200 m3/Hr (2 ACH)
200 m3/Hr (2 ACH)
200 m3/Hr (2 ACH)

33 m2 Patient Room
FCU Min Air Flow
400 m3/Hr (4 ACH)

Neutral
Pressure
 Transfer FRESH AIR Transfer FRESH AIR
From Adjacent FRESH AIR From Adjacent
FRESH AIR
Zones Min Air Flow Min Air Flow
Zones
200 m3/Hr (2 ACH) 200 m3/Hr (2 ACH)

Differential
Pressure Control
Heavy duty plastic
curtain

33 m2 Isolation
Room
FCU Min Air Flow
400 m3/Hr (4 ACH)+
Portable HEPA Air Filter
800 m3/Hr (8 ACH

Negative
Negative
Pressure
Pressure EXHAUST AIR
Directly to outdoor
after filtering via
HEPA
Selected Hospital experience
DCPRO Hospitals’ Experience

AL AIN HOSPITAL

33
 Al Ain Hospital

Al-Ain Hospital is a 600 Bed Hosp. that consists of the following buildings:
• Main Hospital Building
• Rehabilitation Building
• Administration
• Kinder Garden
• Mosque
• Logistic Center
• Utility Center
• Morgue
 Al Ain Hospital

Noncompliance with the local and international codes for health care facilities.
1. Large number of areas are being provided by FCU’s for cooling which is not allowed by the healthcare
standards such as Operation Theaters.
2. Fresh Air quantities provided and the pressurization system is not valid in many areas and not as per the
health care standards.
3. Drainage and water supply pipe sizes are mostly incorrect and don’t follow the design standards.

Solution adopted to solve the problems denoted above, this includes the following:
1. Preparing detailed calculations related to the above mentioned services, as per the latest local and
international health care standards.
2. Markup the drawings highlighting the correct pipes and ducts sizes, and highlighting the missing fixtures
and/or equipment while proposing their connections.
3. Preparing schedules of equipment reflecting the correct parameters as per the design procedures.

35
 Al Ain Hospital

DC PRO Engineering managed to resolve major issues in the HVAC

system regarding complex design verification and changes to the
satisfaction of all parties (Contractor, Consultant and Client)

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 DCPRO Hospitals’ Experience

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

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 Cleveland Hospital, Abu Dhabi

Designed and supervised the 80,000 Ton Chiller plant with 20 MW standby power Generation Feeding the Hospital via
25,000 Ton Energy Transfer Stations.

Evaluated the Hospital HVAC design issues and consumptions.

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 DCPRO Hospitals’ Experience

Labour village, Mussafah Abu Dhabi

39
 DCPRO Hospitals’ Experience

NMC Hospital Al Nahda Re-design

40
 DCPRO Hospitals’ Experience

NMC Hospital Al Ain Re-design

41
 Labour village, Mussafah Abu Dhabi

Designed the HVAC concept design inclusive of

connection to the district cooling plant in parallel to
standby air cooled chilled water system for critical
facilities operated by gensets standby power.

42
Sample Value Engineering Utility Building
Project - 2016
 Khalifa Energy Centre
Doha, Qatar

 Reduced the Plant Room BA From 64,000 m2 to 16,000m2

 Reduced the Land Size From 16,000 m2 to 7000 m2
 Reduced the Capital Cost by QR 250 MILLION
Hospitals Energy Audit
• Hospitals are energy consumption monsters consuming 300 to 1,000 kWh / m2 / Year
almost double of hotels and quadruple of residences.

• Typical Dubai Hospital connected to District cooling power is below:

with District Cooling With Equivelant AC

Equiv. AC Equiv. WC
Year Electricity per BUA per A/C Area per BUA per A/C Area
Chillers Power Chillers Power
2 2 2 2
kWh / m / kWh / m / kWh / m / kWh / m /
kWh / Yr kWh kWh
Year Year Year Year
2016 3,249,205 177 227 2,168,825 1,301,295 295 379
2017 3,694,992 201 259 2,515,970 1,509,582 338 435
2018 3,849,436 210 269 2,452,002 1,471,201 343 441

USA Hospital Benchmark 309

UAE Hospital Benchmark
 Thank You

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