Dayu Electronics: Open Channel Flow Meters at Hydropower Stations Frequently Damaged — These Two Causes Are to Blame!
In field water conservancy monitoring scenarios, stable equipment operation is critical. Recently, we received a request from a hydropower station customer: they purchased Dayu Electronics open channel flow meters in 2022 to monitor ecological discharge flow, but due to frequent lightning in the open field environment and dual power supply (mains and solar), the equipment repeatedly experienced host black screens and loss of water level data.
Where exactly was the problem?
After joint troubleshooting with the customer, we identified two main causes:
1. Lightning surge: open field environments are highly susceptible to lightning strikes, and strong induced lightning currents invade the equipment through the lines, directly damaging the internal 485 communication module of the host.
2. Power supply current overload: during strong midday sunlight, the solar power supply system output current was too high and unstable, exceeding the tolerance of the host power module, causing the power supply to burn out.
On-site solutions
In response to the above causes, we proposed two clear and easy-to-implement improvement measures for the customer:
? Install lightning/surge protection modules
Connect appropriate surge protective devices (SPDs) in series at the signal and power line entries of the flow meter. When the line senses lightning overvoltage, the surge module quickly conducts and discharges, limiting the residual voltage to a range the equipment can withstand. This is the most direct and effective means of lightning protection in the field.
? Install voltage stabilization modules
Add a voltage regulator (such as a DC-DC voltage stabilization module) in the solar power supply circuit to ensure that the voltage and current delivered to the host remain stable within the rated range. This way, even when sunlight is strong at noon and output fluctuates, it will not impact the host.
Currently, the retrofitted equipment operates stably during the thunderstorm season. Dayu Electronics reminds: field hydrological monitoring equipment requires special reinforcement of lightning protection design, and the on-site power supply method and frequency of extreme weather should be specified during selection. If you need lightning protection upgrade solutions for aging equipment, feel free to communicate with our technical team — safeguarding data security, we stand with you!