Miter gates are the most used hydraulic closures in inland navigation locks.
Their history dates back to the 15th century, when Leonardo da Vinci invented the first version of this hydraulic solution.
The purpose of these gates is to allow boats navigating on a water flow to bypass obstructive structures creating different water levels.
The functioning
The functioning of miter gates is straightforward: a navigation lock is usually built on the side of the obstacle and two rotating gates with vertical hinge axes located on both sides of the lock operated by means hydraulic cylinder double action which create an isolated environment where the water level can be lowered or raised to match the level of the water flow that the boat is navigating towards.
The water level between the two gates is regulated through type conduits positioned on the navigation lock.
The Advantages of Miter Gates
Many are the advantages of miter gates, the first being its well-proven technology which means that there are a great number of structural systems available that have already been tested, being structures widely used in the past years until today.
Several are the benefits connected to their design:
- It has a sustainable principle of operation, given that water itself seals the gates at both sides of the water flow;
- Water flow patterns are symmetric during the opening and closing;
- Dimension of components is relatively small which entails a relatively easy transportation and installation process;
- Maintenance costs are low or moderate both for the gates and the filling and emptying devices;
- It can be opened/closed much faster than any other type of lock gate.
VH’s Miter Gates
Our mission is the satisfaction of our clients and because of this every stage of the process is customized to the client’s needs, from the design to the testing of the product.
Learn more about Vortex Hydra’s miter gates on our dedicated page and don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to discover more!