On September 1st, 2024, what is claimed to be China’s first variable-diameter shaft reaming machine “CREC 1430”, independently developed and manufactured by China Railway Engineering Equipment Group Co., Ltd. (CREG), was rolled off the production line in Zhengzhou.
The machine will be used to construct the vertical shafts for the Yongjia Pumped Storage Power Station in Zhejiang province, which greatly assists methods for the construction of vertical shafts for pumped storage power stations.
With an excavation diameter of 7.23m, the machine will be used to bore a 358m deep exhaust shaft and two 488m deep diversion shafts, with a total tunnelling distance of reaching 1334m. The surrounding rock types are mainly II–III, with partial fault zones and sediment-tuff interlayers of type Ⅳ. The lithology is crystal welded tuff and spherical bubble rhyolite, with an average compressive strength of 119-190MPa, and locally up to 223MPa.
According to the project characteristics and customer needs, CREG customized this particular variable-diameter shaft reaming machine by adopting a variable-angle conical cutter head to facilitate rock breaking and discharge. The main drive also adopts a combined design to meet the needs of assembly and disassembly within the narrow chamber. The tunnelling process will be highly automated, and the operator can control and monitor all the operations from insode the control cabin, which will greatly improve the safety and efficiency of construction.
Upon completion, the Yongjia Pumped Storage Power Station will be mainly responsible for the energy storage and emergency backup of the Zhejiang power grid. This will save coal consumption by the power system in the Zhejiang province every year, greatly assisting the efforts to protect the environment.
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