Gezhou Dam
Brief Introduction of Gezhou Dam
Gezhou Dam is also well-known as Gezhou Dam Hydroelectric Station. Before the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, it was the first largest station in China. Gezhou Dam Hydroelectric Station is situated at the end of Xiling Gorge, and the project lasted about 14 years (1974-1988). We may see the latest achievements of the construction of Hydroelectric Station in its designing level and construction technology. There is no doubt that Gezhou Dam Hydroelectric Station is the milestone in the history of the construction of Hydroelectric Station.
Structure of Gezhou Dam
Gezgou Dam includes the navigation lock, factory building, sluicing lock, flushing lock and retaining buildings. The navigation lock is single-lift, NO.1 and NO.2 navigation locks are the same, with a length of 280 meters and width of 34 meters. Each time, a group of ships no more than 12 thousand to 16 thousand loads can get through it. The duration of getting through each time is 50 to 57 minutes, during which 5 to 8 minutes are flushing and draining water. As for NO.3 navigation lock, its length is 120 meters and width 18 meters, passenger-cargo ships less than 3000 ton may get through it. Its duration of getting through each time is about 40 minutes, and 5 to 8 minutes are flushing and draining water. The sluicing lock at Erjiang is the main building for sluicing and ejecting sand of Gezhou Dam. There are 27 holes in all, and the biggest amount of flood discharge is 83,900 Cubic meters per second. The lock is sluice gate, with 12 meters' width and 24 meters' height. There is the upper lock door and the lower one, all with the size of 12×12 meters. If you come here at the flood season, then you may enjoy the scenery at the lock gate of raging wave's pound on the banks. The tempestuous flood bumped highly into the sky, and forms the water mist all over the sky. Even if you are one hundred meters far away from it, you will feel the moisture touching your face and wetting your cloths. If it happens to be sunny day, the moisture will reflect the sunlight and form a beautiful rainbow at the lock gate, that's so magnificent.
Great Contributions of Gezhou Dam
As for the contribution of Gezhou Dam Hydroelectric Station, there are two aspects, on one hand, it generates electricity, the output of the station has been 15.7 billion kw-hr, and that is to say, it may save us 10.2 ton coal. In this way, the pressure of the supply of oil and petroleum has been eased, besides, the power system of central China and eastern China has been guaranteed. Only by generating electricity, by 1989, the investment of the whole project has been paid back. On the other hand, it can improve the channel of the gorge. The water moves back as far as 110 to 180 kilometers, with the up level, 21 torrents shoals and 9 dangerous shoals have been submerged, so 9 single channels and shoal stands have been cancelled. With the improvement of the channel, almost each kind of ship can get through the gorge freely, and the capacity of passengers and goods are increased.
