BUILDING SPECIFICATIONS
Building Type
451-bed, full service community hospital founded in 1956.
SYSTEMS INSTALLED:
The Trane CDQ™ (Cool, Dry, Quiet) desiccant dehumidification system provides:
Improved dehumidification energy efficiency with air as dry as 30 grains per pound
Quiet operation with up to 10 dBa attenuation in every octave band
Increased cooling coil latent (dehumidification) capacity
Warmer chilled water temperatures
Decreased need for reheat
Lower unit cooling sensible heat ratios
Decreased required cooling capacity when dehumidifying.
No need for exhaust air as a requirement
WJMC is also equipped with Trane CenTraVac™ chillers, a Tracer Summit™ building automation system and Trane air handling units.
MAKING MIRACLES POSSIBLE!
Few HVAC applications are more critical than in healthcare. Trane recently helped West Jefferson Medical Center (WJMC) attain precise temperature and humidity control for its new CyberKnife™ robotic surgery system using Trane’s new CDQ™ (Cool, Dry, Quiet) desiccant dehumidification system.
WJMC recently installed the revolutionary CyberKnife robotic surgery system. This new robotic surgery combines image guidance technology and computer controlled robotics to enable delivery of high doses of radiation with sub-millimeter precision. Thanks to this accuracy, multiple areas of the body can be treated non-invasively including the brain, spine, lung, prostate, liver and pancreas. The system does require, however, very precise control of operating room temperature and humidity. In Louisiana, where outdoor relative humidity is seldom 50 percent or less, this is a major HVAC challenge. Ronny Gann, WJMC Director of Facilities Management, said, "After installing the CyberKnife system we realized that we did not have adequate humidity control. We needed a solution quickly!"
Gann asked Tim Goatley at Trane’s New Orleans office for assistance. “We called on Trane because we’ve had a long, successful facilities management relationship with them.” Goatley realized that the project was an ideal application for Trane’s new CDQ™ system. This desiccant dehumidification product is ideal for facilities requiring lower dew point settings and can increase cooling coil capacity by 20 to 300 percent. Chilled water temperatures can be set higher, saving energy and eliminating reheat or exhaust air. Standard air conditioning coils have limited dehumidification capacity. The air dew point can not be lower than the coil temperature —the dew point barrier. The CDQ unit breaks this dew point barrier using an energy recovery desiccant wheel that transfers humidity from the supply air to the return air or mixed air. As a result, the cooling coil can remove up to 200 percent more moisture per hour!
Since installation of the CDQ system, Gann has had no complaints whatsoever from the surgical staff. WJMC surgeons and patients can now take advantage of the CyberKnife system benefits whenever needed without humidity concerns. Ronny Gann said, "Trane performed admirably. They had one weekend to get the CDQ equipment installed and it was to be up and running by 7:00 a.m. on Monday morning. Actually, the installation was completed on Sunday afternoon!"
WJMC is a not-for-profit community hospital
located in Marrero, Louisiana, on the West
bank of Jefferson Parish and only 10 minutes
from downtown New Orleans. WJMC has 400
medical staff members and 2000 employees
dedicated to continuously improving the health
of its community through cost-effective, quality
patient care and excellent customer service. In
recent years WJMC has been named among the
best hospitals in the United States and among
the best hospitals to work at.