Industry
Energy
Services
procurement
Key disciplines
3d_modeling
Control Systems
Electrical
Piping
Process
Procurement
Project Management
structural
Replace an existing 50-year-old, deteriorating gantry crane system requiring an inordinate amount of maintenance, with a new gantry crane system capable of efficiently transferring coke to a calciner to turn the coke into aluminum. The existing crane’s main frame and boom were exhibiting metal fatigue, increasing safety risks, and the electrical system and controls servicing the crane system were obsolete.
In addition, the client was faced with maintenance costs that had tripled over the previous ten years and an increased risk for unplanned outages that would have required the refinery to reduce crude throughput until the current system was fixed and running.
Replace both the north and south cantilever style gantry cranes and supporting equipment with two new equilibrium (e-cranes) cranes and one hopper/trailer, which housed one common hopper, grizzly, two coke crushers, and two incline conveyors. This design approach addressed safety, reliability, operability, and maintainability of the coke transfer system.
The Anvil engineering and design team conducted range and reach animations and 3D modeling to ensure that the cranes would be able to cover the full area of operations, move simultaneously, and load in a single, grinding hopper.
The new e-crane design limited the stresses on the structural components by operating in a near “equilibrium” state, wherever the loaded or unloaded bucket swung. This was accomplished by moving the concrete filled counterweight with a hydraulic ram, which in turn moved the boom/link and stick, which moved the bucket. This design, in conjunction with a heavy-duty fatigue factor built into the structure, reduced the potential for catastrophic structural failure and personnel injury, or damage to process equipment.
The design also decreased the risk of unplanned outages and potential loss of production. In addition, the “equilibrium” design reduced annual maintenance costs and allowed the operator to increase the cycle time from the old cantilever style cable-driven cranes, reducing the ergonomic concerns from craning for an extended period of time.
The project consisted of the following:
– Purchasing and installing two new equilibrium cranes with eight-yard buckets for the pit that also fit the mazes. The cranes included the instrumentation, hardware, and software required to create a digital map of the coke pit to be displayed in the cranes cab so that the crane operator could continue to crane regardless of heavy steam and fog.
– Purchasing and installing new coke hopper, grizzly, crusher, and reclaim conveyor as a trailer between the new cranes.
– Decommissioning/disposing of the existing north gantry crane and south gantry crane structures and supporting equipment.
– Installing two new switch racks with a new underground duct bank.
– Installing festoon and festoon structure.
– Replacing the existing crane rails.
– Repairing the crane rail foundation.
– Completing all major construction/commissioning of the first crane prior to the delivery of Coker heater project components.
The client and Anvil engineering team blended the vendor’s standard equipment specifications with the client’s standards and specifications to develop a set of project specific specifications, which was challenging as the e-cranes are fabricated in Europe to European standards.
Nested contractors were used to construct as much as possible. The equilibrium crane supplier supplied all erection, startup commissioning, and training services on site.
Extensive 3D modeling with range and reach animations ensured full coverage of material removal and integration of crusher hopper with simultaneous use of dual cranes. 3D modeling also helped the Anvil team evaluate rail stops and rotation stops to reduce conflict and interferences with adjacent structures. In addition, radar imagery systems were also used during low visibility climate conditions.
The new cranes increased the efficiency of transferring green coke from the pit to the barns, improved the operator’s work environment, and reduced the annual maintenance costs.
Actual TIC was 1% below original budget.
The overall project was completed safely and on budget and schedule, with start-up executed as planned with zero safety performance issues. The equilibrium cranes were also a fraction of the cost versus gantry style cranes.
The client submitted the Gantry Crane Replacement Project for consideration for the Northwest Construction Consumer Council’s (NW CCC) 2019 Distinguished Project Award for Private Projects over $10MM, recognizing excellence in engineering, design, and construction. The project exemplified the client’s commitment to improving operations while improving operating conditions.
– (2) equilibrium cranes with eight-yard buckets
– (1) coke hopper
– (1) grizzly crusher
– (1) reclaim conveyor as a trailer between the new cranes
– (2) switch racks with a new underground duct bank
– (1) festoon and festoon structure
