CENTRAL CYLINDERS MANIFOLD SYSTEM

1. Central Cylinders Manifold System:- Introduction:

Note: There are Gas Manifolds for Practically All Medical Gases
(Oxygen, Nitrous Oxide, Medical Air, and Vacuum) except for
Anaesthetic Gases.

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 Oxygen Central Manifold System

This is a central cylinders supply system with one single common

output supply port set at 4.1 bar/7.2 bar. It has several set of pressure
regulators for pressure reduction and pressure gauges for preset pressure
values assurance.

It has 2 supply Banks; Left hand Bank and Right hand Bank which
automatically alternate supply. The “current’’ supplying Bank is termed as
the “Duty Bank” and the other on the waiting Bank is termed as the
“Reserve Bank’’. Both Banks have equal/same numbers of cylinders to
guarantee at least 1 week supply with at least 3 Days supply in
each Bank and 1 Day supply in an Emergency/Reserve Manifold that
can be manually attached to Central Manifold.

The main Cylinder Store must hold/provide at least an additional 4

Days Gas supply enough to replenish One Manifold Cylinders and
One Emergency/Reserve Manifold. Hospital Facilities remote/far
from Gas Providers/manufacturers can be allowed additional
stock of up to 8 Days supply at the Main Cylinder Store.

Since the Manifold System operates automatically and are usually

“Unmanned” then there is need for a Remote Status Display Panels
to be strategically placed at the Nurse Station, at the Reception Room or at
the main Corridor Walkway, at locations that will provide for guaranteed
surveillance around the hospital for gases status reassurance and drawing
relevant technical attention.

Medical alarm systems are designed to signal the presence of hazards

requiring urgent attention summoning the relevant/respective Medical Gases
personnel. They play a key role in central monitoring of the gas
management system 24 hours a day

These Remote Manifold Alarms Status Display Panels also referred

to as Manifold Gases Area Alarm Display Panels monitor and
display pressure values, leakages and gas flow rates variations
in pipe line networks.

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 These Central Cylinders Manifold System have elaborate pipe-networks
around the hospital and eventually terminate at various Output Terminal
Socket Outlet Units in/on the walls or on various Ceiling Pendants types.

Wall Terminal Units

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Ceiling Pendants

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2. MANIFOLD SYSTEM SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
i. There must be No Possibility of combustible materials
or liquid even in ·minute quantities is allowed to
contaminate surfaces that may come into contact with
Oxygen or Oxygen-Enriched Air.
ii. Oil and Grease must not be used on any part of the installation.
iii. The location where the Manifold Room is situated must be
well ventilated at all times.
iv. Naked lights and smoking are forbidden near the Manifold
Room.
v. Use/mix only 2% Teepol liquid soap-in-water to make a safe
soapy solution when testing for leaks.
vi. Gas Venting pipes should terminate outdoors in a safe area.

3. GAS SUPPLY REPLENISHMENT

A full complement of cylinders of the same gas type should be
connected/replenished to the Manifold System Bank.

4. NORMAL RUNNING
When the control panel is operating normally, only one green
lamp marked "Running" is illuminated to show the bank of
cylinders supplying gas to the pipeline ('duty' bank),
provided that the other bank of cylinders ('reserve' bank) is full, all
other remaining lamps should be off.
When the gas pressure in the 'duty' bank falls below 8.3 bar the
green lamp will be extinguished and the red lamp will be
illuminated, indicating that 'the exhausted manifold cylinder
bank must be changed with full cylinders as soon as possible.
Simultaneously, a green lamp of the reserve bank will
illuminated showing that the reserve bank is now supplying gas .
The alarm display status on previous duty bank will indicate a red lamp
for 'cylinder bank empty'. Exhausted Cylinder bank
replenishing/changing will automatically cancel the 'empty' red
lamp indication.'
When the pressure in the reserve bank drops to give the operating 2
bar differential pressure across the automatic changeover
valve, another changeover will automatically occur. This sequence will
continue, maintaining an uninterrupted supply, provided the cylinder
banks are exchanged when the 'empty' Red lamp indication appears.

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Further gas usage without Cylinder Bank Change will reduce the
pressure, but when the pressure drops to 3.7 bar common output
pressure or 6.5 bar pipeline pressure the red lamps on both
banks will be illuminated and this is a Grave Emergency
situation that should Never Occur at any time on a
Manifold System.

Both Exhausted Cylinder Banks Must be replaced with full

cylinders of the same gas immediately to restore normal
operation of the Central Cylinders Manifold System.

When No lamps illuminate on the status display panel then this condition
indicates an electrical supply failure or failure of the indicator
lamps.
In the event that the Automatic Changeover Valve in the
control panel system fails to operate, then gas flow
from the regulator outlet of the full cylinder bank will
automatically divert through the by-pass regulator
directly to the low pressure outlet thus by-passing the
Automatic Changeover Valve and the common output
low pressure regulator. In the circumstances, the panel
indication will show a low pressure on common output line.

EXHAUSTED MANIFOLD CYLINDER BANK

CHANGEOVER/REPLENISHING

As soon as the Exhausted Manifold Red Lamp indicator

is 'ON'; all exhausted cylinders must be changed/replenished
with full ones of the same gas type.

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Pressure Gauges, Cylinder Regulator, Cylinder with Cylinder &
Outlet Valves

Procedure to Replenish Exhausted Manifold Bank:

1. Close the cylinder and outlet valves on the exhausted bank.
2. Uncouple/Unscrew and remove the exhausted cylinders.
3. Replace full cylinders on the manifold, ensuring that the gas
is correct/same gas for the manifold.
4. Remove plastic protective seals from each cylinder valve outlet.
5. Release momentarily a puff of gas from each cylinder to
remove any unseen dirt or grit in the valve outlet seat.
6. Screw on the tailpipes tightly onto the cylinder valve outlets.
7. Open the cylinder and outlet valves and check/test for leaks with 2%
Teepol liquid soap-in-water solution/”Safe Soapy water solution”.
8. Dry-off the cylinders with a clean dry rag.

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Basic Central Cylinder Manifold System

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Comprehensive Automatic Central Cylinders Manifold System

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Manifold Feature Elements

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5. SYSTEM OPERATION
When the control panel is operating normally when the
electricity supply is ON and all cylinder valves are OPEN.
High 'pressure gas from each cylinder manifold bank enters
the control panel through the respective inlet connections and
is monitored on the high pressure gauges (3). A high pressure
pneumatic switch (2) and a regulator (5), where the gas
pressure is reduced to 10bar are connected in series in each
high pressure gas inlet line. The outlet of each regulator
connects to the inlets of the automatic changeover valve (8).
The design of the automatic changeover valve is such that one
inlet is closed and the other is open, allowing gas to flow
through the low pressure regulator,(6),where the pressure is
further reduced to 4.1 bar or 7.2 bar the pressure regulator
switch(7) and the low pressure gauge (4) to the distribution
pipeline. Thus one cylinder bank is the 'duty' bank and
the other the 'reserve' bank.
Further gas usage will reduce the 'duty' cylinder bank
pressure when, when at 20 bar the high pressure switch will
activate the electrical circuit to operate warning lamps and
alarm units on status display panel. Pressure drop will continue
with usage until the differential pressure across the
automatic changeover valve is 2bar when the shuttle valve
will be forced cross by the higher pressure to switch over to
the reserve bank.

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