Flow Control Penstock & Rollergate: Classifications, Structure & Its Selection

By Author: Dutco Tennant LLC
Total Articles: 39
Comment this article

The use of penstock and rollergate in a dam is a common application for controlling and stopping the flow of water. It is in fact, an integral part of any wastewater, dam or hydroelectric power plant.
There are many types of designs of penstock and rollergate for flow control that can be selected according to layout of the construct and specific overall needs. The primary purpose of penstock is to open and close the water discharge channel.

Nevertheless, with the application of penstock, operators can carry out other operations as well within the system. Operations such as controlling water level, regulating water flow, discharging of sediment and more.

To learn more about penstock and rollergate, keep reading till the end.
Classification of Penstock
Penstock and rollergate are classified by considering a variety of factors. Some of the most common classifications are:

Classification by Production Material

The penstocks are classified according to the type of material used for its making. Some of the readily available metal penstocks are cast iron penstock, steel welded penstock, ...
... cast steel penstock, etc.

In most hydropower and water conservation projects, the use of metallic penstock is pretty common. Cast iron and steel are the go-to choice of metal for penstock among experts.

While the cast iron penstock offers great anti-corrosive performance, the steel made penstock is lightweight, delivering hassle-free installation and maintenance.

Other than metallic penstocks, the other classification by material is non-metallic penstock such as cement penstock, nylon penstock or wood-made penstock.

The cement penstock provides a low-cost solution ideal for small water conservancy application. Wooden penstock is a traditional application and a lot of other materials have replaced it in today’s penstock utilization.

Classification by Method of open/close of the Gate

Based on the opening and closing of the penstock gate, the penstocks are classified into mechanically operated gates and automated hydraulic gates. The mechanically operated gates typically have a spindle that works to open or close the penstock gate or shutter.

Whereas, the automatic hydraulics gate as the name suggests has a hydraulic system that automatically operates for the opening or closing of penstock gate.

Alternatively, the classification of penstock happens according to the varied support forms of the penstock leaves, these are primarily hinged support gates, fixed wheel support gates, series roller gates, etc.
There’s also classification by the relative position of the horizontal plane and top of the gate – which are mainly submerged gates and exposed gates.

According to the overall needs, the type of penstock is chosen and installed for efficient performance.

Penstock Overall Structure

There are essentially three parts of penstock that structure the whole device. These are:

1. The main body’s movable part – This functions to open and close the orifice or commonly referred to the gate of the penstock. This movable part consists of the panel beam system including the support walking parts, other weighing structures, water-stop devices, guiding and the lifting lugs.

2. Buried parts – The buried parts consist of the main rails, hinge seats, guide rails, water stops and other components. These are buried throughout the opening and are tightly linked to the hydraulic structure’s concrete with the respective use of anchor bars respectively. In order to achieve great water-stop performance, the support walking parts and the water-stop surface are merged to form the door leaf. This enables the transmission of the water pressure and other loads to the hydraulic structure through the door leaf structure.

3. Equipment to open and close – The lifting lugs of the door leaf is connected with the opening and closing system. This allows control of the movable part’s position. Alternatively, there are also a few gates that help in operating the opening and closing gate in an automated hydraulic penstock system.

Selecting the ideal Penstock solution

The best penstock solution offers you both economical and technical benefits. Based on the gate’s working mechanism, operational conditions, setting position, opening and closing force, and other factors, the ideal solution must be picked.

There are different gate shapes available offering to meet specific requirements for penstock solutions. These gates are:
Plane Penstock – When penstock solution is used for the purpose of maintenance gate or accident gate application then the plane penstock is used specifically.

Radial Penstock – Radial or arc gates are used when there’s submerged working gates, large or medium exposed top and deep-hole or high-head gates.

The accidental and maintenance gates are established prior to working gates. In order to prevent excessive gate vibration and cavitation in high-head gates, main focus should be given to improving gate hydraulic conditions. The cavitation and vibration typically occurs due to frequent partial opening of gates and water operations.

Why is Penstock Used?

Penstock is the perfect solution for control of water flow that helps in gaining efficiency for water management systems. Used for the application of waterways, hydro power, power plants, drainage and flood control, these are essential device for use.

Experts go for penstock application not just for their ability to stop and open the flow of water but also for their added benefits. If you choose the best quality penstock then you are assured to get –
Maintenance Perks

The need for lubricant in between the door and the frame is minimal if you use high-quality penstocks. It also means that the device is going to last for a long time.

The leakage rate is also minimal, offering tight shut off when needed.
Environmental-friendly
Penstock made of steel is UV stable and does not get impacted in case of direct sun exposure for a long time. There’s no issue of the product going brittle.

Also, the other units from reputed brands are made of environmentally sustainable materials that can be recycled easily.

High Operational

The best quality penstocks are lightweight and can offer you high operational value. With easy installations and minimal component requirements, the overall operations are maximum.
If you are looking for quality penstock and rollergate for flow control then be sure to make a stop at Dutco’s platform. We supply penstock from the world-renowned brands offering high-efficiency solutions.

Dutco Tennant LLC offered solution and products for Pipes valves, potable water, waste water, water treatment sector, surveying equipment & services to the civil engineering market.