XYLENE POWER LTD.

FNR GANTRY CRANE

By Charles Rhodes, P.Eng., Ph.D.

INTRODUCTION:
The FNR Polar Gantry Crane is located above the sodium pool, just below the hot ceiling, as shown in the FNR Side Elevation.

The FNR Polar Gantry Crane is used for manipulating and lifting heavy objects within the sodium pool space. The tasks of the FNR Gantry Crane include but are not limited to:
a) Assisting with assembly of the sodium pool;
b) Assisting with assembly of the sodium pool deck;
d) Assisting with installation of the open steel lattice;
e) Assisting with installation of the NaK piping;
f) Assisting with installation of the intermediate heat exchange bundles;
g) Assisting with installation of liquid sodium;
h) Assisting with sodium filtering;
i) Initial installation of fuel bundles;
j) Repositioning of fuel bundles;
k) Extraction of used fuel bundles;
l) Installation of replacement fuel bundles;
m) Enabling replacement of intermediate heat exchange bundles.

The 2 m X 25.8 cm I shaped cross beam used to form the polar gantry crane rests on an ~3 m long arc shaped bearing plate, which slides on a circular ball bearing track. This track is supported by the vertical I beams in the hot wall. The tops of adjacent vertical I beams are connected together with smaller horizontal I beams forming a horizontal top surface for support of the ball bearing track. The 2 m X 25.8 cm cross beam has a central pin for pivot point and vertical axis stabilization. At the ends of the cross beam are 4 wheels for horizontal position stabilization. Each cross beam end has a worm gear drive for cross beam rotation about its vertical axis. The worm gears act on a gear strip attached to the hot wall plates that extend to the ceiling. The cross beam supports a 1 m long X 1 m high 8 wheel motorized dolly for transvere load positioning. This 8 wheel trolley has a variable height lifting hook and vertical axis rotation.

The worm gear drives and dolly are removed prior to reactor operation at high temperatures.

Preliminary calculations indicate that the transverse beam will weigh about 20 tons.

Each transverse beam support dolly normally has a load of 10 tons related to the transverse beam dead weight and up to 10 tons for the live load. However, if the load is at the end of the cross beam the load on the adjacent hot wall can jump up to 20 tons_____.

Thus each transverse beam support dolly must be rated at 20 tons._______ Suitable transverse I beam material is 2 m high with flanges 17.1 inch wide X 2.68 inch thick._______

The transverse beam supports an eight wheel load trolley, where each wheel is about 0.6 m diameter and is rated to continuously support 2.5 tons. Thus the load trolley length will be about 2.7 m which will reduce the lifting point travel to 25.0 - 2.8 m = 22.2 m.________

Suitable transverse beam material seems to be:
WF36487,Section W36, 487 lb / ft, 39.33 inch (1 m) high, 17.105 inch wide flanges, 2.680 inch flange thickness.________

Check that the track flanges can safely withstand the flange torque caused by the loaded dollies.

The gantry lifting mechanism must be able to lift the intermediate heat exchange bundles over the pool deck for extraction from or insertion into the equipment transfer airlocks.

Allowing for a lifting band, the top hook path must be ~ 5.0 m above the pool deck.

When the gantry crane is not in use its electric/electronic components are stored in cool regions near the transverse beam rest ends. This space is kept cool by:
a) Thermal breaks in the gantry crane rail supports;
b) A removable hinged insulation barrier;
c) Top and end access for service, including the trolley motors and related positioning electronics;
d) Note that the remote manipulator which reaches down into the liquid sodium enters and leaves the primary pool space via an Equipment Transfer Airlock.

Note that the bottom of the load trolley must be higher than the hotter NaK pipes.

The gantry has a laser positioning system with a horizontal positioning error of less than ___ mm and a vertical positioning error of less than ___mm.

The gantry crane normally lifts individual loads of less than 5 tonnes but occasionally, if a load sticks, might have to apply a lifting force of up to 10 tonnes.

The lifting mechanism together with its laser positioning system must be easily removable and should fit through the equipment transfer airlock. The trolleys must all be rated for continuous long term exposure to 500 degree C. This issue has trolley wheel bearing implications.
 

GANTRY CRANE SERVICE:
The gantry crane electronic positioning system cannot survive at the normal sustained 500 degree C temperature of the argon and sodium vapor above the sodium pool. Prior to use of the gantry crane the space temperature must be lowered to about 120 degrees C. Then the gantry crane electronic positioning system can be temporarily installed.

When planned fuel bundle shuffling work with the gantry crane is complete the gantry crane motors and electronic positioning system are removed before the reactor is restarted. The motors that move the gantry must be accessible via service ports in the walls.
 

GEOMETRY:
Note that the gantry crane transverse cross beam will always cross over the midpoint of the sodium pool.
 

This web page last updated February 8, 2026.