Klinikum Bayreuth in Bavaria, Germany, has continued to use nickel-based batteries supplied by Saft to provide back-up power for critical systems to ensure patient safety in the event of an interruption in the main power supply. This latest project in Bayreuth confirms the growing trend for hospitals in Bavaria to use Saft’s nickel-based battery technology to ensure the continuity of safety critical power supplies, with Saft batteries also installed at hospitals in Munich, Neumarkt, Regensburg and Wuerzburg.
For Klinikum Bayreuth, Kaufel GmbH & CO KG, a manufacturer of emergency lighting products and safety power supply systems, has installed two additional Saft battery systems in a new intensive care department. This followed the success of a previous project in 2010, when Saft battery systems were installed to support the lighting in two operating theatres.
Mr Ronald Knop, Kaufel’s battery product manager, said “Ensuring that critical patient systems operate with total continuity is vital to Klinikum Bayreuth, so there could be no compromise in the selection of the batteries for back-up power. Lead-acid batteries cost less, but the hospital’s technical department insisted on Saft batteries because of their proven reliable performance and their previous good experience with nickel-based batteries.”
The hospital DIN standard VDE 0100-710 prescribes that the electricity supply in operating theatres and intensive care rooms must continue without interruption should the main power supply fail. The Saft batteries provide back-up power for up to 30 minutes, allowing time for the hospital to start its diesel generators and bring them on line. Each of the two most recently installed batteries provides 15 kVA power for systems in intensive care, with the emergency light systems being rated at 5 kVA.
The Saft batteries installed by Kaufel are from the SBLE range of nickel-based block batteries designed for emergency power back-up and other stationary applications. Unlike lead-acid batteries that can suffer from ‘sudden-death’ failure, the SBLE batteries offer a long and predictable service life of at least 20 years, with excellent reliability and low maintenance requirements that help to optimize total cost of ownership (TCO).
