Gen-sets reaching new heights - Cummins/Onan diesel generator sets used to power rubber tired gantry cranes at the container terminal in Delta, Britis

Ten 700 kW Cummins/Onan units power rubber tired gantry cranes for cargo handling at Canadian port

Increases in both imports and exports from the Vancouver region of British Columbia have led to the development of new cargo handling facilities for the busy Canadian port. As the facilities are designed to operate around-the-clock, the development has also led to an increased demand for generator sets to power various material handling machinery.

Recently, 10 generator sets were required to power new rubber tired gantry cranes (RTGCs), designed specifically for ISO container handling and part of the development by Terminal Systems Inc. (TSI), of new port facilities in Delta, B.C. The port is a joint project between TSI, Canadian Pacific Rail and Canadian National Rail in the design, development and operation of the $161 million container terminal.

Power for the RTGCs is provided by 10 x 500DFED Cummins/Onan diesel generator sets producing 460 Va.c. three phase, 60 Hz power. The gen-sets are powered by Cummins KTA 19-G4 engines rated 755 hp at 1800 rpm and driving IMS Newage Stamford alternators rated 700 kW.

"The complete package is a crane with the capability of moving and lifting at the same time" said Craig Einarson, sales manager for the power generation group of Cummins British Columbia, Surrey B.C. "The project itself was pretty straightforward for manufacture, but the custom controls and packaging have made the project fairly unique."

In addition to providing starting capabilities for the large inrush from the a.c. drives, the 700 kW generators are part of a 30 percent oversize of equipment required by the customer, according to Einarson.

The motors for the gantry, trolley, auxiliaries and the traction motors are new ABB a.c. style units, which are relatively new to applications in North America, Einarson said. The motors are standard three-phase squirrel cage motors designed to operate from fixed sinusoidal power. "The advantages of using this system are higher efficiency over d.c. drive systems," Einarson stated. "In transient speed conditions, the efficiency of d.c. drives drop off more rapidly than those on the a.c. system. Maintenance costs, because of a lack of brushes and a more robust design, add up to making the choice for the a.c. drive system."