Installment of Floodgate Control

Abstract

As one of royally-initiated flood prevention projects by HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Kaem Ling, or “Monkey cheeks” are the retention areas that prevent water from flooding into Bangkok and metropolitan areas. Khlong Maha Chai is where Bangkok Noi Canal connected to Samut Sakhon Province. There are many small canals that drain out the water to the sea but when the water from Bangkok Noi Canal meets the seawater, it remains there and stinks. King Rama IX sketched a thematic map to explain the concept in order to develop a method for flood prevention. Floodgates are opened to store the seawater when the sea level and the level of the water in the canals are different, approximately 50 centimeters. When the sea level is lower, it will act like a car piston pumping water from the Bangkok Noi canal. The water will circulate and does not stink. The Irrigation Department has completed the construction of floodgates in the study area consisting of Mahachai Canal, Khlong Luang Canal, Sahakorn Sai Sam Canal, Jek Canal, Khok Kham Canal, and Khok Kham Gao Canal. The areas do not have equipment and tools for the floodgate management. Thus, the Institute of Field Robotics (FIBO), King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, installed the automatic control system for opening and closing floodgates that can be remotely controlled or work under circumstances automatically. The control system will wait for commands from the headquarter via modem. The control system will then open and close the floodgates at the programmed height and send a signal back to the headquarter to inform the status of floodgates.