A self-developed all-terrain obstacle-crossing transport vehicle was used by staff members from the State Grid Zhenjiang Power Supply Company on Aug 7 to transport equipment at the company's 110-kilovolt Chuncheng Substation 1C11 switchgear renovation site, reducing transport time by nearly half.

The all-terrain obstacle-crossing transport vehicle was developed to address the challenges of transporting equipment across complex terrains, reducing the risk of collisions and injuries, as well as shortening power outage maintenance times.

This vehicle integrates tracked movement, electric push rod obstacle-crossing and horizontal calibration. It can easily handle equipment transportation on flat ground, cable covers, rodent-proof barriers over 40 centimeters high and multi-level stairs.

"This transport vehicle can be operated via wireless remote control. When encountering rodent-proof barriers, the electric push rods on both sides alternately support the vehicle body to cross smoothly. When climbing stairs, the horizontal calibration device automatically adjusts the carriage angle to maintain balance, allowing one person to operate it throughout. Its single transport efficiency increased by nearly 50 percent," said a manager from the substation operation and maintenance team.

Since its deployment in Jurong area, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province, this year, the vehicle has assisted in more than 20 maintenance operations. The average time for substation maintenance setup has been reduced from 50 minutes to less than 25 minutes, while the average planned maintenance power outage duration has been shortened by approximately 27.24 minutes. The achievement has reduced the impact of maintenance outages on residents and is injecting strong momentum into reliable power supply during summer and throughout the year.