Health First – Cape Canaveral Hospital
Hurricane season is a critical time for Health First’s 270,000 sf Cape
Canaveral Hospital, situated on a barrier island. Hurricanes in recent
years have caused the hospital to evacuate and transport patients to
other Health First hospitals, posing a health and safety concern for
patients. Cape Canaveral Hospital has endured substantial interior
damage due to environmental conditions created by the air conditioning
chillers being shut down during an evacuation, resulting in damages and
repairs costing millions.
BCER implemented a new condenser water system to provide condenser
water evaporation make-up if high-speed winds pull the cooling tower
sumps dry. A new stainless-steel condenser water storage tank was
piped in an “inline” configuration for continuous water movement and
treatment. The tank was mounted to allow the water column elevation
not to exceed the cooling tower basin elevation, preventing flooding
of the basins. Additionally, pump and tower motors are controlled by
controllable VFDs and are N+1 capable to account for pump or tower fan
downtime or maintenance.
This project demonstrates BCER’s ability to think “outside-the-box” and
develop/design innovative and cutting-edge systems to solve potentially
devastating client issues.
“We want to make sure we can withstand whatever Mother Nature throws at us. There’s not a model out there like this - this is the first of its kind,” said Tom Davis, Health First Vice President of Facilities, Construction, and Real Estate about the importance of readiness for any hurricane season and the reliability of their equipment.
