PRESENTATION

Many rooms in hospitals require special design considerations because of intensified infection concerns, high air change rates, special equipment, unique procedures, high internal loads, and the presence of immunocompromised patients. But in no other health-care space does the design of the HVAC system take on more importance than in an operating room (OR), where its purpose is to minimize infection, maintain staff comfort, and contribute to an environment of patient care.

This presentation will delve into the complex dynamics of designing and maintaining energy-efficient and sustainable hospital operating room environments which will:

1. Provide consistent compliance with ASHRAE Standard 170, drastically reducing or eliminating excursions in high OR space relative humidity, as commonly experienced.
2. Produce the ultimate in OR comfort for the surgeon and staff, helping eliminate complaints.
3. Garner substantial HVAC system energy-and-sustainability improvements, in many cases reducing or eliminating the requirement for wasteful reheat.

The materials presented will be based on information found in three peer-reviewed ASHRAE Journals articles on this topic, authored by the presenter. After this presentation, the attendee will be able to…

1. Understand the performance differences between traditional refrigerant-based cooling systems (which produce dehumidification as a byproduct) and dedicated desiccant dehumidification equipment which can perform independently of the OR space sensible heat ratio.
2. Learn how to reduce the need for energy wasting “reheat” when designing hospital ORs using a more effective desiccant dehumidification system approach.
3. Discover how desiccant dehumidification systems may allow for increasing the hospital’s chilled water supply temperature, reducing chiller lift and producing energy reductions across the entire facility.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

David Schurk holds the positions of Director of Applied Engineering and National Sales Manager at Innovative Air Technologies in Covington, GA. Additionally, he serves as an ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer and Instructor for the Humidity Control I & II professional development training courses. Previously, he chaired the American Society of Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) Sustainability and Decarbonization Leadership Task Force. With over 40 years of experience, David has contributed significantly to HVAC systems design and analysis across diverse sectors, specializing in healthcare and aerospace environmental control and air quality. His expertise is recognized through numerous ASHRAE Journal articles, frequent speaking engagements both domestic and internationally, and acclaim as an authority in dehumidification analysis, system design, component selection, and building integration. He can be reached at 920-530-7677 or [email protected]