Radar level meter to secure the Panama Canal
November 2000
News
As part of the US$1bn Canal modernisation programme, the Panama Canal Authority, Autoridad del Canal de Panama, decided to equip the locks with reliable level gauges. Several ultrasonic and radar gauges were tested.
Commissioning of the Saab TankRadar Pro gauge – the customer and Dora Espinoza, Doger Technology. The gauges are installed in shafts communicating with the basins
Reliable measuring critical
Every year climatic changes make the use of water in the canal more critical. The locks work with a small hydraulic system thanks to good design. Sloppy tolerances in level on both sides of the lock make the operation inefficient, making reliable and accurate level gauging essential.
47 Saab TankRadar Pro level meters measure the water levels at the 23 locks. The upgrade from mechanical gauges to radar ease the transition to a computer-based control system that will enhance safety in operations and reduce maintenance costs. Dora Espinoza and Roger Flores at Doger Technology have actively convinced the customer to change to a noncontact system and a new display system for the control room.
The lock gates at Miraflores are the tallest in the system because of the extreme tidal variation in the Pacific Ocean
The Panama Canal
The canal is important to world trade because it is a major transit centre for shipments from the Atlantic to the Pacific, saving time for the ship owners. For example, ships sailing from Ecuador to Europe save about 5000 miles by going through the canal. About 35 ships cross daily, paying US$1m in tolls. Since it was opened in 1914, around 700 000 crossings have been made.
The canal includes the Lake Gatún, one of the world's largest artifical lakes. The ships travel a further 27 miles to Corte Culebra, an 8 mile long section, excavated from solid rock. Afterward, they pass through the Cerro de Oro, the highest level of the entire canal, at 580 feet above sea level. The ships then enter the Pedro Miguel locks, where they are lowered 26 feet in one step, to reach the level of Miraflores Lake, which has two sets of locks before reaching the Pacific
Further reading:
From solar to water, onsite plants are the next big industrial resilience shift
News
South African industrial operators who secured their energy supply with onsite solar generation now face the same imperative with water. Robert Erasmus of Sanitech argues that onsite water treatment is the next essential pillar of business continuity.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: Pushing engineering to the limit
Technews Publishing
News
Among the many things robots can do, it’s a lot of fun to follow how fast they are. They go from the Boston Dynamics cheetah, which first reached a record-breaking speed of 45,5 km/h, to the robot Charlie
...
Read more...
Schneider Electric concludes Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa
Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric's Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa, held in Abu Dhabi with more than 2500 attendees, explored the convergence of energy, AI and industrial software, launched an Industrial AI study and announced the NEST Accelerator Programme for energy and industrial tech startups.
Read more...
VEGA brings measurement expertise beyond mining to Electra Mining Africa 2026
VEGA Controls SA
News
VEGA used its Electra Mining Africa 2026 stand to demonstrate that its level and pressure measurement instruments extend well beyond mining, covering water, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and oil and gas applications across the continent.
Read more...
Sustainable solutions for sugar
Bearing Man Group t/a BMG
News
BMG received a Special Commendation Exhibition Stand Award at the South African Sugar Technologists’ Association Congress, where it showcased an integrated turnkey drive solution designed to simplify the upgrading of ageing crushing-mill drive systems.
Read more...
Measure, Manage, Maintain: The operating model behind SA’s water resilience
Siemens South Africa
News
South Africa’s growing water crisis is putting pressure on infrastructure, municipalities and the economy. Siemens highlights how digital technologies, smarter operations and safe water reuse could help shift the country from crisis response towards a more resilient and sustainable water future.
Read more...
VEGA brings measurement expertise beyond mining to Electra Mining Africa 2026
VEGA Controls SA
News
VEGA used its Electra Mining Africa 2026 stand to demonstrate that its level and pressure measurement instruments extend well beyond mining, covering water, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and oil and gas applications across the continent.
Read more...
Schneider Electric concludes Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa
Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric’s Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa, held in Abu Dhabi with more than 2500 attendees, explored the convergence of energy, AI and industrial software, launched an Industrial AI study and announced the NEST Accelerator Programme.
Read more...
RX Africa and Messe Muenchen India join forces to strengthen business platforms in Africa
RX Africa
News
Messe Muenchen India has announced a strategic partnership with RX Africa to strengthen the scale, reach and market impact of its premier co-located trade fairs, analytica Lab Africa and IFAT Africa, ahead of their 2027 editions.
Read more...
John Thompson secures order for bagasse-fired boiler
News
John Thompson, a division of ACTOM, has secured an order for a 320 t/h bagasse-fired boiler for what is set to become the world’s largest greenfield sugar mill development in Indonesia.
Read more...
printer friendly version