When thinking about sectors that need constant, reliable power, hospitals and emergency care are generally the first that come to mind. Still, recently, that guarantee has been put at risk by an unpredictable power grid.
Fortunately, there are different ways to guarantee your power supply, but they need to be maintained efficiently. Read on to explore the importance of regular onsite maintenance of power generators both locally and across the nation's power infrastructure.
A recent BBC investigation has revealed the scale of the crisis, with various building and operational failures, such as power cuts, being exposed as hazardous issues impacting hospitals in the North East of England and Cumbria.
This troubling information was revealed by the high number of Clinical Service Incidents (CSI) recorded by hospitals in the area. A CSI is a record of when patient care is put at risk by unexpected events in the hospital, such as a power cut.
The BBC's shared data team collected 40 CSIs disclosed by the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust, which contained various incidents in which the lack of power negatively affected the hospital environment. Examples of these included 15-minute-long halts during surgery, unpowered doors blocking workers, and MRI machines being inoperative.
To put the maintenance costs into a financial perspective, the recorded price to fulfil the repair backlog of these regions' hospitals in 2022 through 2023 was at least £367m. This reveals the importance of finding efficient onsite machine repair processes like ours that require lower expenses and downtime whilst ensuring a consistent supply of power to emergency sites like hospitals.
Despite hospitals being exempt from planned rolling blackouts (known as rota disconnection), unexpected power cuts are still occurring, making emergency power generators an essential tool for hospitals across the UK. The diesel-powered generators do not require charging before use, making them a great emergency backup. However, like any engine, they will need to be regularly checked to guarantee they are ready to compensate for a power cut.
There are four combustion stages that convert the fuel's chemical energy into rotational mechanical energy, which turns a crankshaft to produce the AC required. The spinning crankshaft rotates the alternator's rotor inside a stator, which, as a result, creates the electricity required. This means that specific repair operations, such as crankshaft repair, need to be scheduled to guarantee the condition of these vital components and their eventual operation.
An alternate method of sourcing emergency electricity is to invest in onsite renewable generation with combined battery storage. Many high-energy sectors are exploring this option, such as solar panels and wind turbines, which will reduce your energy needs, and a portion of them will be stored in HV battery storage for emergency use. However, similar to diesel engine generators, wind turbines will need to be maintained to guarantee their smooth operation and reliable power generation. The turbines' internal and external components will wear over time, wear down or become faulty, and need to be repaired before generating electricity again.
A common cause that leads to costly shutdowns of wind turbines is the brake or gearbox. These two areas are designed to manage the speed of the turbine and maintain a productive but safe pace. If either of these two fails, then the turbine will work at an erratic speed that will damage it further and be a risk to other turbines and anyone on the ground. This is why choosing a team that can conduct efficient wind turbine repair is vital to maintaining a safe and productive wind farm.
Our expert engineers will often provide their onsite machining services at the nation's power stations themselves. These services cater specifically for this infrastructure industry, providing comprehensive solutions to address the diverse needs of power facilities.
The specific nature of these maintenance checks and repairs requires a tailored approach; we guarantee this by designing our own mobile line boring machines and conducting the work at the facility location. By eliminating travel times for the parts, we significantly reduce the downtime of the machinery and, with appropriate planning, will avoid causing power cuts that impact Northeast hospitals. With our extensive experience, technical expertise, and commitment to excellence, we are the trusted partner for power generation repairs.
At In-Situ Machining Solutions, we know the importance of keeping your energy flowing consistently. With our in-situ service, our engineers will travel across the UK and globally to meet the needs of the many sectors as we conduct machining repairs.
Learn more about our repair services online. Contact us directly to discuss your machining needs with our team or ask us any questions about our onsite services through one of our enquiry forms.
