arrow left
arrow right
Part of the Kinetic Solutions Group
Search
Launch Project
Search

Hunterston Nuclear SAWBR Facility – ILW Nirex Box Handling Crane

SCX Special Projects designed and installed a 10 tonne crane for handling 3m3 Nirex boxes containing intermediate level waste (ILW) at the SAWBR (Solid Active Waste Building Retrieval) facility at Hunterston A Nuclear Power Station in Scotland.

The Challenge

The empty Nirex boxes arrive at the building on an import wagon, where they must then be transported into and around the facility through a series of shield doors.

They are then filled, sealed, swabbed and, once verified free of external contamination, must be accurately deposited into a cross-site transport (XST) vehicle in order to be removed from the facility and taken to a purpose built ILW store.

 

Talk to us

The Solution

This project enabled SCX Special Projects to develop a modular crane design for use in the handling of nuclear ILW packages in both process plant applications and long-term storage solutions throughout the nuclear decommissioning arena.

The system incorporates integrated back-up recovery systems for all motions to ensure safe package delivery in the unlikely event of an operations failure.

Technical Details

Unparalleled protection
  • The specially designed lifting grapple, created by SCX Special Projects for the handing of both 3m3 Nirex ILW boxes and drums, incorporates four twist-locks that engage with the boxes.
  • A main ‘floating’ actuator controls the twist locks, but in the event of a failure, a secondary recovery actuator overrides the first, ensuring the load can always be set down before the system is retrieved from the containment area.
  • Four plungers detect whether the grapple is correctly seated before the twist locks can engage.
Easy to use
  • Operation of the grapple is fully remote and controlled and monitored by a series of limit and proximity switches.
  • Both the plungers and twist locks activate visual flag indicators on the top of the grapple plate so that should the automation sensors malfunction, the operator can manually verify the positional status and use the override function to continue operation of the crane.
Industry proven
  • The crane is programmed to operate automatically from signals fed through from existing upstream control systems, whilst absolute encoders fully map the operating envelope of the crane and provide continuous positional feedback to the upstream controls.
  • The entire process can be viewed from the safety of a remote control room complete with CCTV, whilst a radio remote controller enables the manual override operation for maintenance.

Explore more specialist handling solutions from SCX

Magnox Berkeley – ILW Import/Export Nuclear Cranes

View project

Sellafield & CNSL: Pile Fuel Storage Pond Cranes

View project

Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd – Drum Handling Crane

View project