RE: Standby power

["Lavera, Ron" <Ron.Lavera@nypa.gov>]

Based on my experience with the power requirements for our irradiators used
for instrument calibrations at a power plant, I believe that the power
requirements should be rather trivial ( Just a couple of relays, a solenoid
and Maybe a controlling PC ).  I would recommend just buying one of the
commercial PC UPS systems.  You can get a unit with respectable capacity for
minimal expense.

Check out Best Power or just pick up a copy of Computer Shopper at your
local grocery store.

Good Luck !

...mine and mine alone ...

Ron LaVera
Lavera.r@nypa.gov

		-----Original Message-----
		From:	Neon John [mailto:johngd@bellsouth.net]
		Sent:	Monday, December 20, 1999 5:59 PM
		To:	Multiple recipients of list
		Subject:	Standby power



		"Weiss, Sue" wrote:
		> 
		> Yes, you are missing it. We are a hospital with little
resources!!! We can't
		> just go out and buy another generator!!! Our institutional
backup generators
		> are already loaded and we can't put the irradiator on it.
I need another
		> solution.

		OK, we can handle that!  Is this a one-shot Y2K thingie or
is this
		to be a long term solution.  Assuming it's a one-shot
affair, here
		are some ideas:

		Rent a generator for the weekend.  Run type SO extension
cords
		through windows or whatever to reach the irradiator. 

		Does anyone on the staff have a motorhome or RV?  Most
contain
		generators, typically in the 4 to 12KW range.  Assuming the
line
		voltage is only needed to run the control system and not an
X-ray
		generator, this should be more than enough power to do the
trick. 
		Get the person to  park the motorhome next to the hospital
and run
		the cords. Motorhome generators are plumbed into the RVs
main gas
		tank so there will be from 30 to 100 gallons of fuel on
board.  And
		if it runs low, the "gas tank" can be driven to a fueling
station.

		Contact your civil defense/emergency management agency.
They almost
		always have sitting around at least a lighting truck
consisting of a
		pickup with a generator and some lights mounted.  May be a
trailer
		instead.  They would most likely loan it to you.  Maybe not
for the
		whole weekend but surely by appointment.

		Contact your local ham radio club.  Either the emergency
management
		agency or police can refer you.  Ham do public
service/disaster
		recovery as a matter of course.  Many hams are set up to
operate
		their radios during any sort of emergency and this means
having a
		generator.  The club will find someone to bring the
generator and
		make sure it works.  You'll probably stil have to supply the
cords,
		though you'll be amazed at what hams can dig out of their
boneyards.
		(Hint: Home Depot and Lowe's both have the Hubbel 10 gauge
SO cord
		sets for about $80 for 100 feet).

		Any military/national guard facilities nearby?  Contact them
for the
		loan of a generator.  Might be too late at this stage,
considering
		the bureaucracy but worth a shot.

		Contact your local TV stations and ask them to do a public
service
		segment on your need.  On the air, ask for a loan.  Someone
will
		most likely give you one.

		Depending on how large the load is, an inverter and some
golf cart
		batteries might be a viable alternative.  A 1000 watt
inverter and a
		thousand amp-hours of golf cart batteries can be had in the
$500
		range.  On a temporary, emergency basis, say over the Y2K
weekend,
		they could be piled in the corner of the room.  On a
permanent
		basis, this plus a suitable battery charger make up a very
fine
		uninterruptable power supply.  That is exactly what I run my
little
		data center on.

		If your needs are more permanent, then an ordinary gas
powered
		generator, as in above, can be permanently mouted in a
convenient
		location and supplied with permanent wiring.  A manual
transfer
		switch could be installed near the power source for the
irradiator. 
		A remote start switch could be installed near the transfer
switch. 
		Since no life safety systems are involved and since you can
schedule
		the irradiations, it would be no big deal to have to go
start the
		generator locally - maybe even pull the cord.  Onan makes a
very
		excellent generator for RVs designed for remote start and
VERY quiet
		operation.  Look at http://www.onanrv.com/.  The smaller
ones cost
		in the range of $2500.  A remote start panel is standard
equipment
		with these generators.

		If I haven't come up with anything viable, let me know and
I'll
		noodle some more.

		John

		-- 
		John De Armond
		johngdSPAMNOT@bellsouth.net
		http://neonjohn.4mg.com
	
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