NUCLEAR | SECTOR REPORT
“The grab can engage and disengage
automatically, and it has inbuilt systems to prevent release if the drum inadvertently contacts an unforeseen object,” Pykett says. “While drum grabs are widely deployed, they often rely on manual intervention from an operator – a luxury not available in the nuclear industry where the operator must remain a safe distance away from the radioactive drum.” The Penny Nuclear drum grab can be
operated from a distance, features fine- tuned positioning controls that are accurate to within a few millimetres, and includes on-board high-definition cameras that provide visibility even when the drum is lowered into a vault five metres deep. Pykett says that he expects the nuclear
market to grow. Of the four key divisions at Penny Hydraulics, Penny Nuclear is the division that expects to see the most growth. However, the nuclear industry is tightly regulated, and therefore the growth will be slow and steady rather than fast and sudden. “Diversifying into the nuclear arena must be seen as a long-term investment,” Pykett explains. “It will almost certainly challenge and reshape the way a business operates.” The nature and variety of nuclear
projects currently in demand isn’t only region-specific; there are also predictable trends in both the public and the private sector. Kevin Johnston is the president of J&R Engineering, a lifting equipment manufacturer based in Mukwonago, Wisconsin, USA. Johnston says that in the United States, private companies primarily perform decommissioning work, while the federal government is continuing to invest in nuclear power, storage, and research. “The government hasn’t stopped using nuclear because it powers (the navy’s) warships,” Johnston says. “But the government is also in the research area. They’re supplying research grants for small nuclear reactors to a few companies.” Johnston says the nuclear industry hasn’t seen much of an impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, and J&R Engineering still has personnel travelling across the United States. Nuclear plants provide electricity and medical isotopes, making the nuclear sector an essential service; therefore, maintenance work must continue to happen on a regular schedule regardless of external factors. Johnston notes that electricity providers are seeing reduced profits as a result of a drop in commercial electricity use during the pandemic, even in spite of increases in residential electricity use. However, he also
24 | March 2021 |
www.hoistmagazine.com
says parts of the nuclear industry have been stagnant for some time: “I haven’t heard of any new plants being built. There are quite a few plants still operating, and plants are being decommissioned. I do know that the navy is storing spent fuel in Idaho, and any increase in new storage facilities would boost the industry.” Much of J&R Engineering’s work
involves designing and manufacturing cask transporters, training on-site staff, and providing site management services. The company recently introduced an improved generation of cask transporters with a new modular design. These modular cask transporters can be disassembled, transported between work sites on trailers, and then reassembled at their destination. Johnston says this design is easier and less costly to move between sites without compromising on safety.
J&R Engineering also recently completed
an upgrade project in England designed to improve safety: “We just put in rubber-tyred multiple-
steering axles in a plant in England,” Johnston says. “They’re single-failure-proof because we have Lift-N-Lock cam locking technology. We have hydraulic cylinders that lift the load. Around the cylinders are mechanical booms, and the booms have cam locks that will hold the load in the event of a loss of hydraulic pressure.”
ALTERNATIVE REACTORS GROW Recent technological advances in reactor fuel systems are creating opportunities for new hoist installations. Jason Schulz, crane business segment leader for PaR Systems in Shoreview, Minnesota, USA, says that a recent set of leaps forward in safety technology has now given companies the opportunity to innovate in other areas.
R A different model of vertical cask transporter by J&R Engineering. This model incorporates a more traditional rubber tyre design
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53
