Rolls-Royce receives Miami-Dade Acceptance for mtu Generator Set Enclosures

Rolls-Royce has received the Miami-Dade County Notice of Acceptance (NOA), in addition to Florida Building Code Section 1626 certification, for a range of its mtu standby power generator set enclosures. The acceptance signifies that the structural strength of the enclosures has been successfully tested to withstand the severe wind speeds and windborne debris impacts found inside high velocity hurricane zones.

To gain Miami-Dade Acceptance, building products are laboratory-tested to meet high standards of performance under the stress of extreme wind and pressure and are manufactured according to specific quality assurance guidelines. The approval benefits power generation customers located in any high velocity hurricane zone and in areas prone to extreme wind due to severe weather. The Miami-Dade rating code for building materials and structures has become widely used as the leading standard, going beyond the Florida Building Code standards required for locales in lower velocity impact areas.  

JD Carsten, Senior Manager, Product Development for the Power Systems business unit of Rolls-Royce in the U.S, said: “Our customers inside these high velocity areas require generator enclosures that are reliable and have been constructed to meet the impact and structural requirements of the stringent Miami-Dade code. This certification is considered the gold standard in the industry for high velocity weather zones. Customers can be assured through this certification that they are purchasing a robust power generation product that can stand up to tough weather conditions in just about any location.”

The mtu enclosures, which are used to house generator sets in the 30kW to 600kW power range, successfully passed multiple rounds of debris, impact and wind pressure testing to gain the Miami-Dade NOA.  The panels sustained wind speed forces of 195 mph while remaining resistant to debris impact from dozens of Level E missile tests, consisting of nine pound, 2x4 wood studs shot at test panels at a rate of 80 feet per second. The enclosures also passed uniform static pressure tests ranging from 153 psf to -153 psf and cyclical testing leading up to ±126 psf over 670 cycles with no signs of failure or permanent damage.

Carsten said: “Our standby power generation systems are most often used in mission critical applications, where it is essential that if the main power fails, our systems take over. This certification is just one more reason to trust our mtu systems to perform as expected, even in the most severe weather conditions.”

A video of the debris, impact, and wind pressure testing mtu enclosures underwent to gain Miami-Dade Acceptance is available at: https://youtu.be/fq9UDGFj4Zk