Queensland, Australia has nearly completed a new cultural masterpiece, the $277 million Millennium Art Project at the Cultural Center on Brisbane''s South Bank. The landmark project includes construction of the new Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, redevelopment of the State Library of Queensland, and a new entrance and foyer for the Queensland Museum. The gallery, scheduled to open late in 2006, will be the largest art museum in Australia solely dedicated to modern and contemporary art.
Cummins Brisbane''s power generation team played a key role in the project by working with contractors to determine the best solution to ensure the center and its valuable collections would have a reliable supply of electric power.
Temperature and humidity control are vital for preservation of the sensitive art and historical collections on display in both the library and the art gallery, and these environmental control systems depend on reliable electric power. The Queensland Cultural Center needed a supplier that could guarantee there would be no loss of power at any time.
Expertise Changes Project Scope
The original building systems design called for the three existing standby generators -- which had been in place for 30 years -- to be supplemented by one additional generator set. However, Cummins Power Generation and Bovis Lend Lease, the building contractor on the project, agreed there was a smarter way to deliver the standby power protection the center desired. Together, they recommended an all-new digitally controlled emergency power system that would provide more power than the older system and have a useful life of at least 25 years. The building contractor was confident Cummins Power Generation could deliver the system design and equipment best suited to the Center''s needs.
"Cummins Power Generation has a lot of skill sets we knew would be vital to this project," said Des Dykes, senior project engineer (electrical) for Bovis Lend Lease in Queensland. "From our previous experience with them in power generation projects, we knew them to be a very focused organization."
The new backup power system is comprised of three Cummins Power Generation generator sets and PowerCommand® digital paralleling equipment. A Cummins Power Generation MC300 digital master control system is used to operate, monitor, and control the 1,675 kVA generator sets, which are powered by Cummins 50-liter KTA50G8 low-emissions diesel engines.
Backup Power Protects Valuable Collections
Cummins Power Generation removed the old generator sets and installed the new, state-of-the-art emergency power system with no loss of power at any time. In addition to the three new generator sets, Cummins Power Generation supplied the network control and power switching system that allows individual loads to be turned on and off in the various buildings throughout the site.
With the assurance of its new emergency power system, the Center can welcome visitors with confidence. The Queensland library and gallery can also be confident that its temperature- and humidity-sensitive collections will be protected, thanks to a reliable supply of electric power.