Challenge
The engineering of a submerged multi-ring stage presents significant technical hurdles that exceed the requirements of dry-theater environments. The project at the Suzhou facility faced several site-specific and operational bottlenecks:
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Corrosive Submerged Environment: The entire mechanical structure is perpetually exposed to water. Traditional carbon steel and standard lubricants would fail within months due to oxidation and fluid contamination. The solution required a material and coating system capable of decades of immersion.
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Fluid-Dynamic Lifting Resistance: Lifting a large-scale platform through water creates significant drag and pressure differentials. Standard hydraulic systems often experience “chatter” or uneven movement when overcoming the mass of displaced water.
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Environmental Medium Constraints: Using standard hydraulic oil was prohibited due to the risk of leakage into the performance basin. Any fluid spill would contaminate the water show environment and violate the facility’s environmental safety protocols.
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Complex Control Synchronization: The performance required the stage to interface with a DMX512 control protocol. This necessitated the conversion of digital stage lighting signals into high-precision hydraulic positioning commands to synchronize rotation (1-5 RPM) and lifting with the music and lighting cues.
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Hydraulic Transmission Distance: The hydraulic pump station had to be located 30 meters away from the basin edge to minimize acoustic interference. This required complex calculations for pressure drop across the 30-meter pre-buried hydraulic lines.
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Acoustic and Visual Integration: The platform surface required high-precision perforations to allow underwater fountains to shoot through the stage deck without interfering with the mechanical rotation or the dancers’ footing.
Solution
To address these technical demands, a customized hydraulic and mechanical architecture was developed, utilizing water-glycol fluid technology and tiered concentric ring engineering.
1. Environmental Hydraulic Architecture (Water-Ethylene Glycol)
To eliminate the risk of environmental contamination, the system utilizes a Water-Ethylene Glycol medium. This fire-resistant and eco-friendly fluid provides the necessary lubrication for the high-pressure pumps while ensuring that any potential seal breach would not result in hazardous oil slicks in the performance basin. The system employs specialized hydraulic water cylinders with chrome-plated, corrosion-resistant rods.
2. Multi-Stage Material Protection (Hot-Dip Galvanizing)
The entire structural skeleton underwent a full-immersion hot-dip galvanizing process after fabrication. Following galvanization, a multi-layer coating system was applied:
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Base Coat: Epoxy zinc-rich anti-rust primer for maximum adhesion.
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Top Coat: Polyurethane chlorinated polyethylene finish, specifically formulated for permanent underwater industrial use.
This dual-barrier approach ensures the structural integrity of the 120mm frames over a 15+ year service life in a submerged state.
3. Concentric Tiered Kinematics
The stage is divided into three concentric rings (Outer: ΦΦ7000mm, Middle: ΦΦ4900mm, Inner: ΦΦ2800mm). Each ring is equipped with independent lifting and rotation drives:
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Outer Ring: 600mm stroke for foundational tiering.
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Middle Ring: 1000mm stroke to create the primary vertical offset.
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Inner Ring: 1500mm stroke for the central performer highlight.
The rotation is managed via variable frequency drives (VFD), allowing the speed to be adjusted from 1 to 5 minutes per revolution. This [Internal Link: rotating stage platform] utilizes a precision-machined slewing bearing to ensure silent operation, critical for the “Silk Banquet” acoustic environment.
4. DMX512 and Fountain Integration
The control architecture utilizes a specialized PLC gateway that translates DMX512 signals into proportional valve commands. This allows the stage to achieve “Repeatable Precision Positioning,” ensuring the rings stop at the exact same orientation for every performance. The platform decks are constructed from perforated galvanized plates , strategically mapped to align with the underwater fountain nozzles. This allows water jets to pass through the stage seamlessly while the rings are in motion.
