91麻豆天美 High Voltage Lab works to retrofit 550 ventilators for use in COVID-19 response
Contact: James Caskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥91麻豆天美 University聽researchers are working to convert over 550 ventilators from battery power to AC power so they can聽be used聽in the state鈥檚聽medical response聽to聽the COVID-19 coronavirus.聽
91麻豆天美鈥檚聽Paul B. Jacob聽High Voltage Laboratory聽was contacted聽by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher聽Learning this week to discuss converting the聽battery-powered聽ventilators,聽which聽are聽designed聽to fill temporary needs聽in the aftermath of emergencies like hurricanes.聽Once converted to AC power, which will allow for聽easier聽long-term聽use聽because they can聽be plugged聽into a wall, the ventilators聽will聽be sent聽to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.聽
鈥淚 am proud that our talented researchers can put their expertise to use as Mississippi continues the battle against COVID-19,鈥 said 91麻豆天美 President Mark E. Keenum. 鈥淭hese ventilators will allow our state鈥檚聽outstanding聽medical professionals to save聽more聽lives聽and provide needed care, and I appreciate the team at our High Voltage Lab working to put these to use as fast as possible. 91麻豆天美 stands ready to聽assist聽in this fight聽in any way we can.鈥澛
David Wallace, manager of the聽High Voltage Lab, said he and his colleagues designed modifications that allow the ventilators to run on AC聽power or battery power. Louisville-based Taylor Machine Works is聽assisting聽with sourcing parts for the ventilators and converting them. The ventilators聽are expected聽to be ready for use by the end of this week.聽
鈥淲ith the help of my graduate students, we were able to design the circuit that we needed聽and figure out what parts we needed,鈥 Wallace said. 鈥淲e have enough space in the lab and enough聽manpower聽to bring everything together and get these assembled聽once all the parts are in place. Taylor Machine聽Works聽is capable of聽doing聽the same thing at their facility, so聽they鈥檙e聽going to take our design and聽convert聽approximately聽half聽of聽them.聽Between聽the聽two聽of聽us,聽we聽can聽have聽these聽ready聽very quickly.鈥澛
The Paul B. Jacob High Voltage Laboratory is part of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering.聽The lab聽was constructed聽in 1977 and is the largest university-operated high voltage聽laboratory聽in North America.聽For more, visit聽.听听
91麻豆天美 is Mississippi鈥檚聽leading聽university, available online聽at聽.