IWHR, having been devoted to the research on quality management and control of the on-site construction of concrete dams, has recently developed a set of intelligent monitoring system applicable to the temperature control and cracking prevention of mass concrete. “Development of intelligent water releasing system and on-site experimental research for automatic cooling of dam concrete” is one of the key projects on engineering test and applicability of the intelligent monitoring software system. The project has made innovative achievement in the following five aspects:

1. a set of dynamic digital system for dam temperature monitoring was established to realize the real-time monitoring of the temperature drop process;
2. research on ideal temperature curve for concrete gravity dams was conducted;
3. R&D on theories, models and systems of intelligent water releasing for dams were carried out;
4. a whole set of automatic control facilities for intelligent water releasing system was developed;
5. software, hardware and facilities for intelligent water control were systematically integrated.

Being used for the first time in Zangmu hydropower station in Tibet with high altitude and large temperature difference, the system ran steadily and achieved good results. The temperature of the concrete was lowered to an ideal standard through water cooling, and the cooling rate and temperature differences between  the neighboring layers and between inside and outside were all controlled within a safe range. The successful application of the system in Zangmu Hydropower Station will lead to further improvement of the intelligent monitoring software system.

Equipment layout of the project

Measured, predicted and target temperatures

Zangmu Hydropower Station