Polar cranes are used for fuel assembly purposes and reactor head removal and replacement. Used to handle multipurpose lifting needs, polar cranes are comprised of a main hoist, auxiliary hoist, maintenance jib crane, and containment inspection man lift. These cranes can perform various maintenance and operational duties while ensuring optimal quality and safety. Polar cranes operate on a circular runway located near the spring line of the containment/reactor building. These cranes are primarily used to removal and replacement of the reactor head, as well as during the refuelling outages.
Konecranes polar cranes is designed for multipurpose usage that maximizes operational capability by combining numerous lifting features into a single compact and weight-efficient trolley. The design improves productivity and reliability by providing four primary lifting systems:
Main Hoist and Auxiliary Hoist - Perform typical plant maintenance and operational functions
Maintenance jib crane - Provide lifting capability during maintenance operations
Containment inspection man lift - Inspecting and maintaining the containment dome
Single failure proof hoist assembly
Seismic durability classification
Emergency retrieval system
Nuclear quality compliant
Telescoping maintenance lift for reactor dome maintenance and inspection
Single failure proof main hoist for critical lifts
Redundant travel motors
Removable operator console
Dual bridge encoder
Continuous-duty variable frequency motor drive
Fail-safe operator controls
Electric cable reels for cameras and sensors
Pneumatic cable reels for grapple operation
Full bridge walkways
Power rotational mast
Stainless steel mast and fuel grapple