The Chinese New Year of 2020 was not meant to be ordinary.
The sudden onslaught of pneumonia caused by a new coronavirus, which is dangerous because it is airborne, has led to masks going off the shelves and protective clothing going out of stock.
It is also because of the special nature of the new coronavirus pneumonia, ordinary ambulances have obviously been unable to meet the demand for carrying people. At this time, the domestic automobile factory stood out, they in the ordinary ambulance based on the "modification", to create a kind of ambulance can avoid cross-infection - negative pressure ambulance.
What is a negative-pressure ambulance?
Negative-pressure ambulances can also be called protective ambulances, and the biggest difference between them and ordinary ambulances is that they can be "isolated by negative pressure". This type of ambulance has a separate space inside, which is generally referred to by paramedics as the "negative pressure compartment" or "isolation compartment", where the patient is placed. It is in this section that the patient is placed.
We know that hospitals have negative-pressure wards, and the logic of a negative-pressure ambulance is basically the same as a negative-pressure ward. It is through the negative pressure purification device, so that the air pressure inside the negative pressure cabin is lower than the outside atmosphere, reduce the dead space of air flow and vortex flow. Then add the fresh air system, so that the air in the cabin is always in a state of circulation, you can maximize the avoidance of cross-infection of all personnel in the car.
Negative pressure cabin has very good isolation, anti-corrosion, gout, bacteria resistance, and there are some supporting medical facilities, so we can simply equate it to a small portable ward.
Difference between negative pressure ambulance and ordinary ambulance?
Ordinary ambulances usually have specialized external medicines, bandages and so on, which can be used to treat wounds and stop bleeding in advance on the way to prevent infection. In addition, the ordinary ambulance will be prepared a lot of medical equipment, such as stents, splints, portable ventilators, oxygen cylinders, pacemakers, monitors, etc., these devices are mainly to always monitor the patient's condition in the car to ensure that the degree of stability, to ensure the safety of life.
The negative-pressure ambulance is different, as just said, its biggest feature is "isolation", the most common application scenario is to transport infected patients. The most common application scenario is the transportation of infectious patients. Therefore, ordinary ambulances are more effective when facing sudden injuries and illnesses, such as sudden heart attack patients. But in the face of infectious diseases, the negative pressure ambulance must be deployed in order to effectively isolate the infected.
The working principle of negative pressure ambulance
To understand the working principle of negative pressure ambulance, we have to pull the sight back to the negative pressure device. I use the most common words to explain the working principle of negative pressure ambulance:
New coronavirus pneumonia can be transmitted through the air, that infected patients in the car, the free flow of air can only be from the outside of the car into the car, if not to deal with the car from the car out of the car, then it is very easy to cause cross-infection. So the air into the car, it must be harmless treatment of the air inside the car before discharge.
Negative pressure ambulance to negative pressure device can make the cabin to form a fixed air flow field area, air flow from the medical personnel area to the negative pressure cabin, at this time the negative pressure car cabin air pressure is maintained between -10Pa ~ -120Pa, in order to minimize the air flow dead space and vortex flow as mentioned earlier.
In addition, the control of airflow in the car, clean air from above into the car, from the car under the room was discharged, so that as far as possible to ensure that the air above the head of the medical staff is clean and sterile, while the patient lying down where the air is contaminated. With the exhaust and filtration device is discharged out of the car, the air outside the car and then filtered, out of the same clean and sterile air. It is this feature that makes the negative pressure ambulance become the "only means of transportation" to transport infectious patients.
How much does a negative pressure ambulance cost?
Since the companies have not fully released the relevant information, and the selling price of the ambulance is meaningless to consumers, let's simply speculate on the cost with an open mind.
The big head of the cost is the negative pressure equipment and the entire negative pressure isolation chamber, the cost of these two configurations alone is feared to be more than 100,000 yuan. Let's take the Brilliance Renault Jinbei's Express as an example; the standard version of this street-visible model sells for around $150,000, which means a negative-pressure ambulance would add close to 2/3 of the cost.
What's more, the relevant medical equipment is not produced by the automotive OEMs, and has to be transported to the conversion plant. So the negative pressure equipment and negative pressure isolation chamber option price is relatively fixed, there will not be much difference. For this kind of 150,000 models of Jinbei, the cost of upgrading the negative pressure equipment is very high indeed, almost offsetting the price of a car.
How long and how difficult is it to build a negative pressure ambulance?
In view of the current progress of the major car companies, the process difficulty of negative pressure ambulance is not too high, the conversion factory only need to add negative pressure equipment and modify the negative pressure chamber.
And the manufacturing time we are most concerned about is not very long, for example, the above automobile Datsun is expected to deliver 60 sets of V80 negative pressure ambulances in ten days, then the number of manufacturing per day can reach about 5 to 6, a gratifying speed.
So the negative pressure ambulance process difficulty and manufacturing time is not where the difficulty lies, the real increase is mainly the cost of equipment.
What vehicle companies currently manufacture negative pressure ambulances?
After learning all about negative-pressure ambulances, let's take a look at some of the car companies that are working overtime to build them.
One, SAIC Datsun
On Jan. 25, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology gave SAIC Datsun Automobile Co. the task of producing 60 negative-pressure ambulances, which was coordinated by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology.
The SAIC Datsun model is also one of the most common special models we see, and as mentioned earlier, the 60 negative-pressure ambulances are based on the V80 model. The guide price (bare car) for the regular version of the SAIC Datsun V80 ambulance is 156,000 yuan, a price that doesn't include any medical equipment, which is expected to total more than 10 million yuan with the addition of medical equipment.
Two, Fujian Benz
When it comes to Fujian Benz, the first thing that comes to mind must be the Vito, which is the prototype of the negative pressure ambulance made by Fujian Benz this time.
On January 25th, Fujian Benz tuning plant received a notice from the "National Working Mechanism for Joint Prevention and Control of New Coronavirus Pneumonia Epidemic Material Protection Group", which will produce a batch of negative-pressure ambulances to support the front-line medical personnel in Wuhan to fight against the new coronavirus pneumonia.
With the cooperation of many departments of Fujian Benz, 20 Vito vehicles were driven off the production line and sent to Wuhan overnight. Officials said the cars will be used for negative-pressure ambulance conversion. The guide price of the Fujian Benz Vito ambulance is about 400,000 yuan, and with the medical equipment, the total amount of the 20 cars is also expected to exceed 10 million yuan.
Three, Jiangling Ford
The Transit, as a classic model of Jiangling Ford, will naturally not be absent from the remodeling of negative pressure ambulances. At present, JFW has received orders for 1,300 ambulances, including 200 orders for Ford Transit negative pressure ambulances. Ford China and JLF have also responded positively to this issue, urgently coordinating several departments to set up an emergency production team to prioritize production and dispatch to the infected areas.
The guide price of the Ford Transit normal version of the ambulance is 175,000 yuan, and the current production of 200 negative-pressure ambulances, plus medical equipment is expected to total at least 35 million yuan from.
Four, Brilliance Group
January 24, Brilliance Group also received the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology under the production of negative pressure ambulance task instructions, to complete the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology under the production of 30 negative pressure ambulance manufacturing tasks, the model for the Jinbei G16 high-roof negative pressure ambulance.
This car is one of our most common ambulances, the model is based on the Renault Jinbei Gurrys chassis, the guide price of 108,000 yuan from the **** production of 30 units, plus medical equipment is expected to total 3 million yuan from.
Fifth, BAIC Foton
Beijing Automobile Foton also participated in the negative pressure ambulance transformation task, which Tuyano, Scenic G9 and Scenic G7 for the main force of modification. These vehicles can be equipped with a variety of ambulance equipment and have good performance.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has issued a mandate to BAIC Foton Motor Co. to produce 25 negative-pressure ambulances, coordinated by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Informatization (BBEI), which, together with the medical equipment, is expected to total about 3 million yuan.
Sixth, Chery Ruifu
After learning that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has issued a negative pressure ambulance manufacturing task for major automobile enterprises, Chery Ruifu has applied for a production task of 20 negative pressure ambulances, which is expected to total more than 3 million yuan.
Chiralife's production capacity was originally one vehicle a day, but with the efforts of the production line staff, it has been able to fulfill the production task of two vehicles a day. As of the afternoon of the fourth day of the first month, five negative pressure ambulances can be rolled off the line, and the production task of all 20 vehicles will be completed by February 5th.
Seven, Yutong Motors
January 28, Yutong Bus announced to Wuhan epidemic area emergency donation of 10 negative pressure ambulance, through the Wuhan Red Cross to support the new Vulcan Hill, Lei Shenshan hospital epidemic prevention and control front.
In fact, in addition to the brands mentioned above, major car companies are also struggling to donate to the epidemic area.
For example, Dongfeng Motor Group, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Guangzhou Automobile Group and many other car companies, which even include suppliers of power batteries, parts and components suppliers, after-market enterprises, and 4S store dealers around the world, all of these enterprises are spontaneously donating money and materials to the epidemic area, contributing their part to the all-out effort to fight the epidemic.
Writing in the end
Human beings, always bumping their way forward.
"We celebrate courage just because humans have always chosen to do what we have to do even when we know the risks." This pneumonia caused by a new coronavirus is indeed tricky, but it is important to always believe that if we trust the science and don't panic unduly, we can turn the risk into a positive one.
Finally, I would like to pay tribute to all those who are on the frontline of the fight against the epidemic! It is because of you that we can believe that we will win! Go Wuhan! Go China!
Photos from the Internet, deleted.
This article comes from the author of the automobile home car family number, does not represent the views of the automobile home position.