Cogeneration for hospitals

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985 · AGA Mon.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5851403

With health care costs on the rise, hospitals are looking for ways to reduce operating expenses-especially utility bills. But hospitals, more than anyone else, need a continuous source of electricity, heating and air conditioning. They cannot turn off medical equipment or climate control systems in the name of energy conservation. Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), with the help of the Gas Research Institute (GRI), has found a way to supply affordable and efficient power to a mid-size hospital in Houston, Texas. A 500-kilowatt (kw) gasfired cogeneration system, sold as a package, is now being field-tested at the Medical Center Del Oro, a 258-bed hospital facility. The cogeneration system, which began operating last month, will supply the medical center with 145 tons of cooling (or 2.3 MMBtu/hour space heating) and 500,000 Btu/hour for water heating, in addition to the 500 kw of electricity. A Caterpillar continuous-duty turbocharged gas-fueled engine serves as the prime mover, and heat is recovered from its exhaust and from water used to cool the engine. A Trane single-effect absorption chiller supplies chilled water for air conditioning the hospital.

• OSTI ID: 5851403
• Journal Information: AGA Mon.; (United States), Journal Name: AGA Mon.; (United States) Vol. 67:1; ISSN AGMOD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200100 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Power Plants & Power Generation
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320103* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- School
Municipal
& Other Public Buildings-- (-1987)
BUILDINGS
COGENERATION
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
DEMONSTRATION PLANTS
DEUS
DUAL-PURPOSE POWER PLANTS
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FEDERAL REGION VI
HEATING
HOSPITALS
MEDICAL CENTERS
NORTH AMERICA
ON-SITE POWER GENERATION
PERFORMANCE
POWER GENERATION
POWER PLANTS
POWER RANGE 100-1000 KW
PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
STEAM GENERATION
TEXAS
USA
WATER HEATING