Genesis of the "Load-Bearing Guardian" at Beizhijiang

The Fuyang North Branch River Comprehensive Improvement Project comprises two sections: the upstream Fuyang section and the Hangzhou section. In August 2017, the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee confirmed that the canoeing (flatwater) and rowing events for the 19th Asian Games would be held at the Fuyang District Water Sports Centre located on the North Branch River. The sluice and ship lock project is situated in the North Branch River section south of the Hangzhou-Fuyang Riverside Highway and north of Dongzhou Island. The project involves a river course approximately 12.5 kilometers in length, with a river width ranging between 250 and 300 meters. The sluice has a clear width of 120 meters and is designed for a normal impoundment level of 5.4 meters.

As the key support components for the flip gate system of the sluice and ship lock in this project, the bottom pivots require a total of 100 sets of self-lubricating spherical plain bearings. This includes 64 sets with a diameter of φ2010mm and 36 sets with a diameter of φ1500mm. These bearings are responsible for transmitting the entire load of the sluice gates. They must not only accommodate the stress-induced and temperature-induced deformations of various sluice structures but also withstand the harsh working environment of the North Branch River, characterized by high sediment content and poor water quality. Their performance is directly critical to the normal operation of the sluice after commissioning. Especially since no maintenance gates are installed, the reliability requirements for the bearings are extremely high.

Stringent technical requirements were established for these components: their performance must be equivalent to or superior to internationally renowned brands such as DEVA, SKF, INA, and SHCM. The manufacturer must have, within the last five years, at least two successful track records of supplying self-lubricating spherical plain bearings with diameters greater than φ1000mm for domestic or international water conservancy projects, with the products achieving safe and stable operation. Regarding materials, the bearing outer rings must be forged from duplex stainless steel grade 00Cr22Ni5Mo3N, the inner rings from engineering plastic alloy, the bearing seat material must be ZG30Mn, and the water seals must use the specialized SF6674 material.

After comprehensive evaluation, SHCM fully met the aforementioned technical and performance track record requirements and won the bidding. To address the project's specific operating conditions, our company specially designed a new sealing structure. This fundamentally resolved potential leakage risks in the poor water quality environment, ensuring the long-term, stable operation of the bearings under complex working conditions. This customized technical solution not only passed the strict review and approval of the East China Investigation and Design Institute but also successfully applied for an invention patent, forming a targeted core technological advantage. The first batch of bearing products for the Fuyang section of this project were delivered in 2020 and have been operating safely for four years. The bearing products for the Hangzhou section were also delivered and put into operation in 2024.