What are the advantages of air - shield dams compared to hydraulic dams?

1. Stability

• Hydraulic Dam: It uses an oil pump as the power source and hydraulic cylinders as the support to raise and lower the shield plates. Due to the pressure difference, after a period of use, the hydraulic cylinders may leak. This can cause two problems. Firstly, it may lead to uneven lifting and lowering of the hydraulic dam. Under the pressure of the shield plates, the hydraulic cylinders may drop naturally and fail to maintain stability, which may pose a potential hazard to the downstream area. Secondly, external leakage can cause environmental pollution.

• Air - shield Dam: It is supported by dam bags and uses compressed air as the medium, which will not pollute the environment. As long as the pneumatic pipelines are properly installed, there will be no leakage problem. Each group of dam bags can be controlled through a manifold and a PLC system, enabling uniform lifting and lowering and automatic leveling to reduce the height difference between each shield plate. Therefore, the air - shield dam system operates more stably and is more environmentally friendly.

2. Smoothness

• Hydraulic Dam: Due to differences in the amount of oil flowing in and out, each gate cannot achieve synchronous lifting and lowering. Floating objects, suspended matter, and bed load (stones, sand) in the water will flow under the gate through the gate gaps, causing friction and wear of the gate, which in turn leads to gate leakage and jamming, making it impossible to rise and fall.

• Air - shield Dam: The system has a simple operating structure and will not experience jamming problems.

3. Reliability

• Hydraulic Cylinders: The asynchronous operation of the hydraulic cylinders can cause the shield plates to twist and deform. Over time, stress concentration may occur, rendering the gate useless, affecting the reliability and service life of the hydraulic dam. The connection of the shield plates is a rigid connection. When it is impacted by large floating objects or the shield plates rise and fall unevenly, the shield plates may deform. The deformation of the shield plates may lead to uneven water - retaining height, affecting the aesthetics.

• Air - shield Dam: Since the gate panel has a large - area contact with the airbag, the entire panel is well - stressed and no stress concentration will occur. Therefore, the air - shield dam is reliable in use and has a long lifespan. The connection of the shield plates is a flexible connection. When impacted by large floating objects, the flexible connection will play a buffering role. At the same time, the buffering effect of the dam bag reduces the probability of shield plate deformation.

 

 

4.Economy

• Hydraulic Dam: Due to the presence of hydraulic cylinders and the sealing system, later - stage maintenance and inspection are quite troublesome and costly.

• Air - shield Dam: Only the air compressor needs to be maintained and the gate needs to be cleaned. The later - stage maintenance cost is low and management is simple.

5.Durability

• Hydraulic Dam: The hydraulic cylinders need to be regularly maintained and the seals need to be replaced. At the same time, the water quality in the river may corrode the seals of the hydraulic cylinders, posing potential risks.

• Air - shield Dam: The dam bag is corrosion - resistant and anti - aging, with a service life of up to 30 years. The dam bag requires no maintenance.

6.Practicality

• Hydraulic Dam: The environmental temperature may affect the viscosity of the oil, thus influencing the lifting and lowering of the shield plates. When the temperature is low, the oil temperature needs to be increased before use.

• Air - shield Dam: The environmental temperature does not have a significant impact on the lifting and lowering of the shield plates. The system can operate normally whether it is high - temperature or low - temperature.