The cumulative power generation of the Three Gorges Power Station throughout the year reached 103.649 billion kWh, breaking the 100 billion kWh mark again. The reason why it has such a strong hydropower generation capacity comes from its rare 113-meter-high water level drop. However, in addition to generating electricity, the Three Gorges Dam also undertakes the heavy responsibility of navigation. The height of the 40-story building, how does the ship pass over it?

The so-called Three Gorges refers to the three gorges of Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge on the Yangtze River. It starts from Baidi City in Fengjie County, Chongqing City in the west, and passes through Enshi in the east to Nanjin Pass in Yichang City, Hubei Province. The total length of this area is 193 kilometers. The Three Gorges Dam we are talking about was built in Sandouping Town, Yiling District, Yichang City. Looking at the whole map, it is like blocking the Yangtze River. Therefore, if large freighters want to pass through here, they have to mention the Three Gorges Ship Lock.

Three Gorges Ship Lock

It was built in the mountain on the left side of the Three Gorges Dam. In order to build it, the Chinese builders flattened 18 hills and just cut a road in the hills. The ship lock consists of 6 lock heads and 5 lock chambers. Each lock chamber is 280 meters long and 34 meters wide. After the first-level connection, the 113-meter drop can be reduced to zero, allowing the ship to step by step like going up stairs. level over the dam. And how to cross the dam specifically, we might as well learn more about it through the real pictures.

When the ship rolls over from bottom to top, it first comes to the lock chamber of the lowest level. At this time, the entrance of the lock will be closed, and water will be injected into the lock chamber through the water delivery system, so that the water level in the lock chamber is flush with the water level of the next lock chamber, and the ship parked in the lock chamber will also follow the buoyancy of the water and the lock chamber. The water level in the room rises together. In this way, after opening the gate of the next level, the ship can smoothly enter the next lock chamber. After taking turns, the ship can overcome the water level drop and pass the dam step by step.

The whole process takes two and a half hours. And when the ship needs to go downhill, it only needs to do the opposite when going uphill. Release the water in the lock chamber to be flush with the water level of the lower chamber. The design of the lock is also very scientific. It has a two-way channel, which can go up and down without interfering with each other. This method is aimed at those large freighters. The passage of ships of 3,000 tons and below is easier. You only need to take the Three Gorges ship lift to go up and down. The whole process is like taking an elevator.

Goupitan Hydropower Station

In this way, you can still see the magical sight of boats traveling in the sky on the Wujiang waterway in Guizhou. Many cargo ships loaded with ore were traveling on the "elevation", and many netizens shouted: "The infrastructure maniac is incredible." And this is the navigation project of the Wujiang Goupitan Hydropower Station, which is located on the left bank of the Goupitan Hydropower Station in Zunyi City, Guizhou Province.

In order to overcome the 232.5-meter drop between upstream and downstream, Chinese engineers followed the model of the Three Gorges ship lift and built a three-stage vertical ship lift. After the ship sets sail from the pier, it first enters the upstream approach channel and enters the first-class passenger compartment. Go down like an elevator, come to the middle channel, and drive into the second-level passenger car. After that, drive into the third-level boat through the middle channel, and then go down again to enter the Wujiang waterway. It is worth mentioning that the lifting height of the middle secondary channel of 127 meters has also broken the world record of 113 meters of the Three Gorges Ship Lock. Uncle Wang couldn't help but sigh that his own record was broken by himself, how lonely it is to be invincible!