BeiDou Technology Empowers Digital Monitoring of Hydropower Project

On August 3, the Zhentou Dam Hydropower Station II operated by Dadu River Hydropower Company under China Energy achieved real-time online monitoring of anti-slip pile deformation on the right bank by utilizing BeiDou technology. A two-week trial run had proved that all monitoring indexes were normal. This breakthrough greatly promotes the transformation of high slope construction monitoring of hydropower projects from traditional manual work to intelligent and digital operation.

Located outside Binhe Road in Jinkouhe District of Leshan City, Sichuan Province, the anti-slip pile section of Phase I right bank protection project of Zhentou Dam Hydropower Station II is adjacent to the Dadu River, playing a vital role in preventing water flows from damaging the slope. In the past, workers used measuring devices such as total station to monitor the deformation of anti-slip piles, but the measurement data were often biased due to reading errors and accuracy problems.

To address the weakness of traditional monitoring approach, Dadu River Hydropower Company’s local branch increased investment in intelligent monitoring of the anti-slip piles on the right bank. Following the philosophy of “high standard, strict requirements and sound management,” the company adopted BeiDou high-precision positioning technology for real-time online monitoring. Using BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, the device features solar panels for energy in the upper part, which are supported by pillars in the lower part. The monitoring data is transmitted on an hourly basis via signals at the top, so that technicians can receive accurate data in time, which effectively improves intelligent monitoring of slope safety of the project.