水运仪象台工作原理的研究和复原试验

The target of this project, principle research and reconstruction experiment on the Astronomical Clock Tower, is to work on those subjects which have never been studied and remained disputations by scholars before and needed to be investigated further. By using new methods and new technology, we develop more profoundly and all-sided research on the ancient machine. According to the studying task and directions we divided our research team into three groups, to study on ancient records, theoretic analysis and model experiments. Now we have achieved a series of results. We have gathered comprehensive historical texts concerning this title and studied them, and then made a database of historical records and a homepage in internet to introduce our work. And have researched systems, units and parts of the Astronomical Clock Tower, especially the transmission unit and control unit that had not been studied before or disputed till now. Then we have made a simulation model of the ancient instrument with modern system dynamics of computer, which can be used as a new kind of helpful method for studying the reconstruction experiment on ancient machine.

水运仪象台是我国宋代天文观测、演示、报时的大型综合性装置，为中国古代科技成果的代表作，具有世界性影响。本项目组集中国内有关专家，对其动力、机构、传动和控制系统的工作原理作研究和复原试验，以期就长期争议的关键性问题取得突破，为按原大复原水运仪象台奠定基础。预期本项目的完成将引起社会各界的广泛重视，可望取得重大的社会效益。