Safelockagewithnewcontrolsystem

Lastyearworkbeganonconnecting locksandmovablebridgesalongtheTrollhätteCanaltoanewcontrol andmonitoring systeminthe thennewlyopened canalcentre.Thisautumnthelastofthesixlocksand threemovablebridgeswillbecomepartofthesystem.Theoldcontrolpulpitswithpush-buttons and lampswerereplacedbyamodern,computer-based controlsystemwithgraphicalinterfaces.Asidefromabetterworkingenvironmentwithanimprovedoverviewthereisalsotheabilitytocontrolequipment remotelyfromseveralplaces.

-Thenewsystemenablesustoremotelycontrolallofthelocksandmovablebridgesfromthenewcanalcentre,saysBörjeJarl,ProjectManagerattheSwedishMaritimeAdministration.Thenewcontrolsystemwithitsgraphicalinterfacealsoprovidesabetteroverviewandsimplifiescontrolmaneuvers.

©InfracontrolAB2010

September 2010

Photo:RasmusGHöglund

Address Flöjelbergsgatan1c,SE-43135Mölndal,SwedenTelephone+46313332700www.infracontrol.com

Modern remotecontrol solution

TrollhätteCanalisaround50mileslong,ofwhichsixmilesareman-madewhiletherestcomprisesanaturalnavigablechannelintheGötaRiver.Heightdifferencestotaling145feetareovercomebysixlocks;oneatLillaEdet,fourinTrollhättanandoneatBrinkebergskulleinVänersborg.Therearebothfixedandmovablebridgesacrossthenavigablechannelforroadandrailtraffic.Thechainoflocksispassedbyaround10freightersperdayyear round,andbyanadditional4,000leisurecraftduringthesummermonths.

Untilnow,lockoperationswerecontrolledbymeansofconventionalpush-buttonpulpitswithchange-overswitchesandlamps,onepulpitperstation,butnowoperationshavetakenstepstowardamodernsolutionthatprovidesseveraladvantages:

-Thenewsystemenablesustoremotelycontrolallofthelocksandmovablebridgesfromthenewcanalcentre,saysBörjeJarl,ProjectManagerattheSwedishMaritimeAdministration.Thenewcontrolsystemwithitsgraphicalinterfacealsoprovidesabetteroverviewandsimplifiescontrolmaneuvers.

Manysystemsworkingtogether

There areanumberofdifferenttechnicalcomponentsystemsthatmustworktogetherforlockagetoworkproperly.Apartfromthelockgatesthemselvesthereisasystemofvalveportsthatareusedtofillandemptythelocks.Therearealsoboomsandsignalsforpedestriansandcanaltrafficandsupplysystemssuchashydraulicequipment.Thereisalsoasystemofbubblecurtainsusedtopreventiceformationclosetothegatesduringwinter.

InordertocontrolthelocksremotelyitisnecessarytoseewhatistakingplaceonsitesoanewTVmonitoringsystemhasbeeninstalledtoprovideoperatorsfullcontrol.TheTVmonitoringsystemisconnectedtotheoperatingsystemsothattherightcameraisalwaysconnectedwhenthevariousmaneuverfunctionsareactivated.

-Wehavelongexperienceofthistypeofoperatingsystem,saysNinniErixal,ProjectManageratInfracontrol.Itallstartedbackin1994whenweinstalledthesystemfortheGötaRiverBridgeinGothenburg.It'sgreattoseehowwell-designedsystemsreallymakelifeeasierforusers.

About Infracontrol

Infracontrolwasfoundedin1993asanindependentsystemintegrator,specialisingininfrastructureIT.Sincethen,andincollaborationwithourcustomers,wehavecreatedanever-moreIntelligentInfrastructurethatmakeslifeeasierforusall.Ourcustomersareprimarilypublicprocurersforthestateandmunicipalities.

Wehelpsocietyfunctionbetterbymeansofmoreuser-friendly,usefulandsmarterITsolutions.Wemakesuretechnologyisheretohelppeopleandnotviceversa– asissooftenthecase–throughourspecialfocusonusefulnessandutility.Theresultisuser-friendlysupportsystemsthatleadtoincreasedsafety,reducedenergy consumption,improvedworkingenvironmentandbetterutilisationofinvestments.

©InfracontrolA

B2010

September 2010

Safe lockagewithnewcontrolsystem