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A medical scanner storage and repair facility required a reliable central cooling system to protect valuable imaging equipment. The client, responsible for housing and servicing sensitive MRI and CT scanners, needed a comprehensive solution that covered design, equipment supply, installation, and commissioning. Refcool was engaged to deliver a full turnkey cooling installation for this critical environment. The outcome would directly impact the longevity and readiness of medical scanners awaiting deployment to hospitals.
In this scenario, the cooling system’s importance was mission-critical: if the storage facility’s temperature or humidity strayed out of range, the medical scanners could be compromised. Therefore, redundancy and stability were top priorities. The client specified that any cooling infrastructure must ensure no single point of failure could halt cooling. This translated into requiring dual chillers for redundancy and a distribution network that could maintain stable water pressure and flow at all times. Another challenge was maintaining uniform cooling across a large service floor filled with equipment – the solution needed to deliver chilled water evenly and respond to varying loads as devices are turned on or off. Additionally, since Refcool was tasked with a turnkey project, the scope included not only the mechanical cooling equipment but also all associated electrical work, controls, and compliance testing. Coordinating these elements under a tight timeframe (the client needed the facility operational as soon as possible) added to the complexity.
Refcool’s team designed a parallel chiller configuration to meet the facility’s needs. Two packaged water chillers were installed in parallel, each capable of handling the full cooling load if the other unit is down. This N+1 redundancy guarantees that cooling continues uninterrupted even during maintenance or a fault in one chiller – a crucial feature for protecting the scanners. The chilled water from both chillers feeds into a fully insulated stainless steel distribution loop that runs throughout the facility. This loop was engineered with large-diameter piping to ensure adequate flow and minimal temperature gain between the chiller plant and the farthest equipment.
To address the requirement for stable system pressure, Refcool custom-designed and installed a motorized pressure relief bypass valve at the end of the distribution line. This intelligent bypass system automatically regulates water pressure by diverting flow when necessary, preventing pressure spikes or drops as chillers cycle on/off or as cooling demand fluctuates. By maintaining a steady pressure, the bypass ensures that each scanner and cooling outlet receives consistent flow, thus protecting sensitive components from thermal or pressure stress.
As a turnkey project, Refcool managed all aspects of installation: we supplied and positioned the chillers, ran new stainless steel pipework (complete with insulation to prevent condensation), and installed the pump sets and bypass controls. Our certified electricians completed a full electrical installation, bringing power to each chiller and integrating the system controls with the facility’s monitoring systems. Once the hardware was in place, Refcool commissioned the system within the agreed tight timeframe, testing redundancy switchover, verifying the bypass operation, and balancing the flow to each branch. All new electrical circuits were inspected rigorously and tested in accordance with BS7671 standards, with NICEIC certification provided for the installation’s compliance.
The result is a robust cooling infrastructure that underpins the medical scanner facility’s operations. With two chillers working in harmony, the cooling system now offers 100% redundancy – if one unit is taken offline for service, the second chiller automatically handles the full load without any interruption in cooling. This gives the client confidence that their valuable MRI and CT scanners in storage are continuously maintained at safe temperatures. The motorized bypass arrangement proved effective in maintaining stable pressure across the network; the facility reports consistent cooling performance with no pressure-related alarms or issues since commissioning. This stability is evident in the even cooling distribution – every scanner bay receives coolant at the correct pressure and temperature, safeguarding the equipment’s condition.
From a project management perspective, Refcool’s turnkey approach meant the client had a single point of contact throughout, simplifying coordination. The installation was completed on schedule, and the immediate handover included all relevant certifications and documentation, ensuring regulatory compliance and safety. By entrusting both the mechanical and electrical scope to Refcool, the client benefited from a faster deployment and a unified warranty support for the entire system.
Ultimately, the medical scanner service center now enjoys a dependable, easy-to-operate cooling system that protects their critical assets. This case demonstrates Refcool’s strength in delivering end-to-end cooling solutions for critical applications – a persuasive success story for other healthcare and high-tech facilities that require turnkey expertise to guarantee their equipment’s performance and longevity.
