Medical industry

As medical equipment in Chinese hospitals continues to improve, more and more high-power, modern equipment is being put into use. These high-power, high-energy medical devices require a complete, reliable, and efficient power supply infrastructure. Only by ensuring power quality can the equipment operate safely and stably. As hospitals' modern equipment continues to grow, the power quality of the State Grid cannot support these sophisticated medical devices, further impacting their operation and even posing a threat to personal safety.

With the continuous advancement of electronic technology, more and more modern technologies are being incorporated into the manufacturing process of medical equipment, enabling hospitals to equip themselves with a growing number of advanced medical devices. These modern devices have significantly improved medical efficiency and standards, playing a vital role. The use of medical equipment not only affects medical outcomes but also the safety of patients. Therefore, ensuring the stability and reliability of critical medical equipment is crucial. During actual operation, these devices are easily affected by power quality, which can impact their efficiency and performance. Hospitals primarily receive their power from the utility grid.

Power quality significantly impacts the reliability and safety of medical equipment.

Causes and Adverse Effects of Power Quality Problems (1) Incoming Line Voltage Suspension or Suspension: A high-voltage substation supplies power to multiple entities. If a power failure occurs on a line within the power grid, the short-circuit kickback current on the faulty line can be many times greater than the normal operating current, causing a voltage drop and potentially causing flashovers in smart devices. Another common occurrence is when humid air discharges to the ground during thunderstorms, resulting in a sudden increase in current and a voltage drop, which can also cause flashovers in smart devices. These are all known as flashovers. A flashover in the power grid is a momentary drop or rise in incoming line voltage.

Causes and Adverse Effects of Power Quality Problems (2) Interference Generated by High-Power Equipment: As hospitals utilize more and more large-scale medical equipment, the density of medical equipment usage is also increasing. Some of these devices generate strong electromagnetic interference during operation, even affecting other equipment on the same power line, causing power supply interference. The electromagnetic interference generated by these high-power devices can affect the operation of other electronic equipment in the same space, thereby compromising the accuracy and reliability of the equipment. For example, medical equipment such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) generates strong magnetic fields in the surrounding area during operation, which can distort images in some instruments, damage computer storage disks, and even cause ventilator failure, posing a serious risk to life.

Causes and Adverse Impacts of Power Quality Problems (III) Noise: Noise primarily refers to electromagnetic waves and high-frequency interference, including radio frequency, electromagnetic interference, and other high-frequency interference. This is primarily caused by spatial interference caused by high-frequency waves or strong magnetic fields generated by other equipment. Some large mechanical equipment generates high-frequency noise during operation, which can seriously affect the normal operation of the equipment. High-intensity electromagnetic interference can also cause equipment damage and operational errors.

Traditional Solutions: Addressing the Adverse Impacts of Power Quality on Medical Equipment (I) Branch Power Supply: For situations where the power supply voltage is unstable due to a large number of electrical devices or during peak hours, a multi-branch isolation transformer can be used. Medical equipment in hospitals is categorized by power consumption and power characteristics. Separate high-power, high-power consumption equipment and precision instruments with high power quality requirements into the same branch circuit. Furthermore, independent power supply systems should be used in areas such as emergency rooms and intensive care units. Powering medical equipment through branch circuits effectively prevents operational issues caused by unstable power supply voltages.

Traditional Solution: Addressing the Negative Impact of Power Quality on Medical Equipment (II) Equipping Power Quality Purification Devices. For power quality purification, a maintenance-free voltage stabilizer with no mechanical or carbon brushes, no transient outages, and no noise can be used to ensure stable voltage within the hospital's power supply circuits. This prevents fluctuations in the hospital's overall circuit voltage caused by the switching on and off of high-power equipment, which could affect the normal operation of the equipment. A surge protector with sufficient capacity can be installed within medical equipment to mitigate the transient high voltages generated during device startup.

Traditional Solutions: Addressing the Negative Impacts of Power Quality on Medical Equipment (III) Strengthening Power Supply Monitoring and Management. Hospital power supply lines, important large-scale medical equipment, and medical facilities should be equipped with appropriate circuit monitoring devices for real-time power quality monitoring. Computers should digitize the monitoring data, enabling circuit maintenance personnel to promptly detect power line faults and locate them more quickly. During the selection and installation of medical equipment, technicians must thoroughly understand the equipment's operating parameters and specifications to determine whether it is suitable for the hospital's actual circuit conditions. Furthermore, regular circuit maintenance is necessary to promptly identify potential faults or safety hazards and to address them.