EDITOR’S CHOICE
SYSTEM INTEGRATORS
STROMAG
POWERFUL BRAKES ELEVATE THE
POTENTIAL OF WORLD’S TALLEST SHIP LIFT
The drastic change in water levels that
characterise dams requires ship lifts (or lift
locks) to transport boats and ships between
the different elevations in a short time.
These advanced engineering solutions need
high-quality, durable and reliable brakes to
support the ship chamber at any height and
prevent machinery overloading. One of the
largest ship lifting facilities worldwide is able
to ensure optimal performance by applying
state-of-the-art braking equipment from
Stromag.
The Goupitan reservoir dam, located on the
Wujiang River in southwest China’s Guizhou
province, is among the tallest in the world at
232.5 m in height. It hosts one of the largest
hydroelectric power stations ever built,
featuring a generating capacity of 3,000
MW. This massive construction, operated by
Guizhou Wujiang Hydropower Development
Company, required a large and efficient lift
lock that would allow boats and small ships
to move past the dam easily and quickly.
The system, developed by Changjiang
Institute of Survey, will lift vessels up to
1,800 tonnes in weight via three lifting
stages: each stage lifting the vessel 79
metres. The decision to break the lifting
into three stages maximises the boat
transportation efficiency, helping to handle
the busy boat traffic without causing
congestion. The three stages each comprise
a gate and separate ship chamber, meaning
that three vessels can occupy the lift system
at any one time. Each elevator consists
of two rows of hoist cable drums and the
gearboxes are positioned over both sides
of the boat-lifting reservoir. This design
provides a hoisting speed of approximately
8 meters per minute, thus can raise or
descend a 500-tonne vessel (the estimated
average weight of passenger boats) in 10
minutes, slashing the travel time past the
dam.
This difficult and complex civil engineering
project needed a braking solution able to
address a number of challenges. First, the
equipment should withstand the unusually
heavy weights occurring when hoisting
the ship chambers and the boats on them.
In addition, the brakes needed to fit into
the limited, confined spaces of the lift
towers: the components would be pedestal-
mounted on the hoist drum brake discs of
each elevator.
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PECM Issue 36
Designed for heavy duty lifting the SH 32 brakes will provide an efficient and reliable solution
able to contribute to optimal performance of the ship elevator at Goupitan dam.
In order to address these challenges,
Changjiang Institute of Survey chose
Stromag, one of Altra Industrial Motion
Corps. premier brands, as its supplier of
braking systems for this ambitious project.
Stromag is well known for its innovative
power transmission components and has
extensive experience in the manufacture
and supply of braking solutions for ship
lifting applications. In particular, Stromag
was involved in the construction of the
Strépy-Thieu boat lift in Belgium, the world’s
second tallest lift lock, as well as in a number
of similar projects across China, including
the Silin, Shatuo and Yantan dams.
Michel Donnay, Plant Director of Stromag’s
French facility, commented: “China is one of
the largest and most challenging market for
ship lifting applications, hosting some of the
most notable lifting infrastructures.
Stromag’s contribution to some of the
largest ship elevators worldwide attests to
the quality of our braking equipment.
About Stromag
Founded in 1932, Stromag has grown
to become a globally recognized leader
in the development and manufacture
of innovative power transmission
components for industrial drivetrain
applications. Stromag engineers
utilize the latest design technologies
and materials to provide creative,
energy-efficient solutions that meet
their customer’s most challenging
requirements.
www.stromag.com