Automatic gate locking device: Making water conservancy projects safer and smarter

First, manually locking the gate is laborious and dangerous

Imagine this: In the dead of winter night, the gates of the hydropower station need to be locked urgently. A worker, wrapped in a thick cotton-padded coat and braving the bone-chilling wind, was struggling to move on the slippery gate platform. He is carrying the heavy I-beam on his shoulder, attempting to precisely insert it into the gate slot. The bone-chilling wind made him unable to stand steadily, and beneath his feet was the surging Heihe River. A moment's inattention could lead to both the person and the beam falling into the abyss.

Such scenes used to be the norm in water conservancy projects.

The locking of traditional gates is entirely accomplished by manual labor.
– High labor intensityA single locking beam weighs over a hundred pounds and requires the collaboration of multiple people to carry
– High operational riskThe workers need to be hereThe slippery and narrow edge of the pierComplete precise positioning
– Low efficiencyA single locking operation can take up to half an hour, which may delay the rescue opportunity during the flood season

An experienced worker at a hydropower station in Gansu Province recalled, "In the past, I was most afraid of emergency repairs in the middle of the night during winter. My hands would freeze and I still had to align with millimeter-level slots. It was just like dancing on the tip of a knife." How many potential safety hazards are hidden in such a working state!

Ii. Automatic Locking device, the "intelligent safety lock" of the gate

In the summer of 2022, Longshou Hydropower Station saw a turning point. The technical team installed two sets at the accident gate of the water diversion tunnelAutomatic locking deviceIn combination with the radar water level gauge and sensor network, the"Unattended locking" During the first flood season test after the renovation, an astonishing scene occurred:

When the water level exceeds the warning line, the alarm in the control room sounds. The duty officer clicked the mouse lightly and saw:
The gate was smoothly lifted to a safe height
2. Side locking beamsSynchronous extensionLike a steel arm firmly supporting a hundred-ton gate
3. The monitoring screen displays in real time:The locking beam is in place and the load-bearing is normal”

The whole process took less than five minutes and the operator didn't even leave the control chair.

This setWeite Technology CompanyThe developed system holds mysteries:
– Millimeter-level accuracyIt adopts multi-turn absolute encoders, with positioning accuracy comparable to that of a human hair
– Triple insuranceElectrical limit + mechanical limit + torque limiter. The machine will automatically stop when stuck
– Remote controlIt transmits signals via industrial Ethernet and has extremely strong anti-interference ability

"Now the gate can 'find its position' by itself, with the locking error controlled within 3 millimeters. It's even more precise than the skills of an experienced master!" " The person in charge of the power station gave a thumbs-up. More crucially,The risk of manually climbing the piers has been completely eliminated。

Three or four innovative designs make the steel gates "smart"

Although the automatic locking device is small, it embodies the ingenuity of engineers inside. At present, the mainstream technologies are all doing their best:

Crank-slider type - as flexible as a mechanical arm
The patented device of a certain water conservancy design institute in Zhejiang Province is like installing a "joint arm" on the gate:
– ReducerDrive the short connecting rod to rotate
– Long connecting rodConvert circular motion into linear motion
– Locking beamGlide smoothly on the surface of the pier

Just like controlling the movement of the slider by turning a crank, its structure is as simple as a children's toy, yet it can withstand a heavy load of thousands of tons. It is particularly suitable for the renovation of existing hydropower stations without damaging the original structure.

2. Smart pin type - It's like a pin with eyes

The innovation of a certain water conservancy institute in Shandong is even more outstanding:
- When the gate risesSpecified heightThe chrome-plated pin shaft automatically inserts into the locking hole
- Real-time proximity sensorMonitoring location
In case of any misalignment or deviation, the system will immediately respondStart the deviation correction program

"It's even more meticulous than an experienced electrician," the on-site technician compared. "The pin shaft's forward and backward movement path is equipped with a laser scale. It stops when encountering obstacles, which is much gentler than manual operation."

3. Hydraulic-driven type - Using the power of water to lock the water door
The latest patent is even more intelligent:
- UtilizeThe water flow impacts the blades.Generate power
– Float adjustmentThe device always maintains a draft depth
-Even if there is a power outage, it can still workWork normally

The pilot project on the Tao River in Gansu Province has proved that this kindZero energy consumption designIt performs particularly well during the flood season. The more acute the flood, the more firmly it is locked in.

Four. Intelligent control enables the gate to "think"

Automatic locking is just the beginning. The real change is hereIntelligent control system. The renovation of the Gezhouba Erjiang Power Station is a model:

On the 30-meter-high door machineMore than 200 sensorsForm a neural network. When the grab beam approaches the gate:
– Laser positioning instrumentScan the position of the door slot
– Pressure sensorSense the changes in the tension of the steel wire rope
– AI algorithmAutomatically correct the falling trajectory

"Before, four people needed to cooperate, but now one person just needs to click the mouse in the air-conditioned room." " Engineer Zhang Hailong sighed. After the transformation, the efficiency has increased by 500%, and there is no longer a need for workers to operate blindly at a height of 10 meters.

More cutting-edge technologies are on the way. In early 2025, the "machine vision system" developed by Huitu Technology equipped the gates with "sharp eyes" :
– High-definition cameraCapture the state of water flow
– Convolutional neural networkAnalyze the risk of debris accumulation
– Automatically start the trash barrier netIntercept floating objects such as tree trunks in advance

Just like equipping water conservancy projects with a smart brain, it shifts from "passive response" to "active prevention and control".

V. The future is here, and a new chapter of smart water conservancy awaits

From the Longshou Hydropower Station to the Gezhouba Dam, the evolution of automatic locking devices reflects the intelligentization process of China's water conservancy. The Weite technology engineer disclosed the key breakthrough points during the project summary:
"We install the locking beam.Tactile nerveWhen the radar water level gauge indicates that the water filling is complete, the system automatically detects the water level pressure difference and only releases the lock after confirming safety. It's as if there are two invisible hands keeping watch.

In the next five years, withMachine vision + Internet of ThingsWith the popularization of technology, gate management will undergo more profound changes:
– Digital Twin systemReal-time mirroring of the status of the physical gate
– Beidou PositioningThe accuracy has been enhanced to the millimeter level
– Self-learning algorithmPredicting equipment failures has transformed maintenance from "post-event repair" to "pre-event prevention".

Standing in the control room of Longshou Hydropower Station and looking through the glass window - the group of gates that once required more than ten people to operate now only has a girl calmly tapping the touch screen. Outside the window, the huge steel gate opens and closes quietly in the morning light, as natural and smooth as breathing.

Behind this peaceful scene, countless automatic locking devices are silently guarding. They don't need flowers or applause; they just want to firmly hold up that sense of security when the stormy waves come.