Dongqi Crane today shared a case of a Swedish waste incineration power plant customizing an anti-sway system for an overhead crane. In this case, the anti-sway system significantly improved the efficiency of the overhead crane at the power plant. Dongqi Crane will help customers better understand why customized bridge cranes are more popular by analyzing the working method of this crane system in waste incineration power plants.

Why overhead cranes in waste-to-energy plants need anti-sway systems

Each waste-to-energy plant has a storage pit into which garbage trucks deliver waste during daytime operations. In a typical arrangement, two high-capacity bridge cranes are used to mix and distribute waste within the storage pit and to feed the incinerator hopper as required by the incinerator process computer.

Waste pit cranes are process cranes specifically designed to operate continuously for decades in harsh environments, in part because waste pits are very unfriendly workplaces for maintenance operations. The traveling speed and lifting speed of the bridge crane are unusually high, and the lifting height during normal operation is 5-35m. Waste storage cranes are equipped with grabs to pick up waste, and in modern installations these grabs are electro-hydraulic and cost around €100,000 each. While a trash pit isn’t the best place for a crane maintenance crew, a trash grab is an even worse place to repair damage to. Therefore, the process must be designed so that the grab will not be damaged due to collision with the pit wall.

While cranes typically operate near pit walls with load swing lengths of 10-35m, even relatively small load swings can produce high impact forces that can damage grab hydraulics, mechanisms or controls. A well-designed control system can reduce stress and wear on the crane machinery and protect the waste grab from collisions, which can significantly reduce the maintenance cost of the waste-to-energy plant and prevent production interruptions.

Waste-to-energy cranes are applications with very high requirements on swing control systems. The crane has a very high lifting speed and must be positioned accurately and avoid collisions when the load height changes rapidly. The crane operates continuously near the walls of the refuse pit, so the sway control system must be able to react quickly without reducing the crane’s handling capabilities. The system must also be able to optimize movements over short distances when the crane is operating with long load swing lengths, where one load swing period can last up to ten seconds.

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Technical requirements for grab bridge cranes in waste incineration power plants

When a crane company customizes an overhead crane for a customer, it must clearly understand the technical requirements of the working environment for the overhead crane. The technical requirements for grab bridge cranes in waste incineration power plants are all-round. They require the equipment to work stably in harsh environments and have sufficient lifting capacity and accuracy. At the same time, safety and Maintenance convenience. These requirements together constitute the technical demand system for grab bridge cranes in waste incineration power plants. It can be summarized as follows:

• Environmental adaptability: The working environment of waste incineration power plants is usually complex and may contain dust, flammable gases, corrosive gases, etc. Therefore, the grab bridge crane should be able to work normally in such an environment without being affected by the environment, ensuring the stability and safety of the equipment.
• Lifting capacity: The grab bridge crane needs to have sufficient lifting capacity to meet the grabbing and transfer needs of large amounts of waste in waste-to-energy plants. The rated lifting capacity of the crane should be able to meet the needs of actual work. At the same time, its static and dynamic rigidity should also comply with relevant regulations to ensure that no deformation or damage occurs during the lifting process.
• Precision and stability: Waste grab cranes need to have a high degree of precision and stability to accurately grab and transfer waste. During the operation, the opening, closing and lifting of the grab bucket should be accurately controlled to avoid the scattering or omission of garbage during the transfer process.
• Safety performance: Safety is an important consideration in the operation of waste incineration power plants. Therefore, grab bridge cranes should be equipped with various safety devices and measures, such as overload protection, stall protection, anti-collision systems, etc., to prevent accidents during operation.
• High temperature resistance: Since the working environment temperature of waste incineration power plants may be high, the grab bridge crane should have good high temperature resistance and be able to work normally in high temperature environments without affecting the performance and life of the equipment.
• Maintenance convenience: The maintenance of grab bridge crane should also take convenience into consideration to facilitate the staff to carry out daily maintenance and repair work. Equipment should be designed to be easy to inspect and maintain, and detailed maintenance manuals and operating guides should be provided so that staff can operate and maintain the equipment correctly.

How Anti-Sway Systems Help Bridge Cranes Work More Efficiently