Chinese Brand Archive 2023, Issue 230 | 30 Years, One Machine, One Dream - Pang Zijing's Water and Electricity Legend

On December 30th, China Brand Archives broadcasted a documentary program titled "The Power of Adherence", focusing on the silent defender of China's hydropower industry - Qingdao Zhengli Electric Power Equipment Co., Ltd. Through in-depth interviews with the general manager of the company, Pang Zijing, and the former director of Fengtan Hydropower Plant, Yang Changxi, the touching stories of striving in the field of hydropower were presented, allowing the audience to feel the strength of those who silently adhere to China's hydropower industry.

Pang Zijing, an elderly man with gray hair but still youthful and energetic, has been on business trips almost 300 days a year for the past 30 years. In the interview, he admitted that his family did not understand and his friends did not support him, but he persisted in his beliefs and only did one thing in his life - silently striving for the hydropower industry.

In 1997, Pang Zijing and Yang Changxi first met. At that time, Pang Zijing shared the application of automatic turning gear at a technical exchange meeting, which aroused Yang Changxi's strong interest. This encounter opened up a close collaboration between the two in the hydropower industry.

The hydropower industry has a century long history in China and is one of the world's largest water conservancy and power generation countries. The operation of hydropower stations has always relied on manpower. However, this traditional turning method has the problems of high labor intensity, long time, and significant economic losses, which have brought great difficulties to the hydropower industry.

Yang Changxi described this issue in an interview: the labor intensity of turning gears is high, requiring a large amount of manpower to be invested, and the duration ranges from four to thirty days. At the same time, there is a high risk, ranging from minor injuries to severe injuries, and even casualties.

Pang Zijing's automatic turning device has emerged. In the interview, he reviewed the ideas that had been brewing in his mind in 1992, and with a desire to solve the problem of adjusting and repairing the shaft system of water turbine units, he began a long path of research and development.

In 1998, Pang Zijing brought the first automatic turning device to the Fengtan Hydropower Station in Xiangxi, Hunan Province, but the first use ended in failure. At this critical moment, the support and encouragement of Fengtan Hydropower Station became the driving force for Pang Zijing to regain his momentum. He returned to Shandong with his equipment for renovation and upgrading.

After a year of dedicated research and improvement, Pang Zijing returned to Fengtan Hydropower Station with the improved automatic turning device. This time, everything went smoothly and the automatic turning gear was successfully applied to the maintenance of the water turbine. Since then, Pang Zijing's automatic turning device has been widely used in hundreds of hydropower stations across the country.

In the interview, Yang Changxi recalled the moment when the gear broke, but he also expressed his belief in the feasibility of this technology. This technology not only solves the problems of traditional turning methods and improves efficiency, but also avoids any unsafe incidents during use.

From 1992 to now, for 30 years, Pang Zijing has always entrusted all of his life to his career in automatic turning gear, and has undergone four upgrades and renovations to make it more perfect. Today, he is proud of his achievements, but at the same time, he says he cannot stop moving forward just because of success.

Through the wonderful presentation of the documentary, we have seen the touching story of an ordinary person in China's hydropower industry who silently pays attention and pursues innovation. Pang Zijing's perseverance and efforts demonstrate how an individual can remain persistent in the face of difficulties and setbacks, constantly pursuing innovation and progress. This is not only a documentary about technological innovation, but also a true portrayal of human nature, beliefs, and struggle.