The annual Two Sessions of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, heralded by the breath of spring, once again capture the hearts of hundreds of millions of Chinese citizens. The spring breeze of the Two Sessions has swept across the land, and the series of favorable policies addressing people’s livelihoods that have been announced have inspired the nation, composing a new symphony of development and progress. Among the ever-coming, most beautiful voices from the Two Sessions, it is the voice of the people that resonates most deeply.

The Two Sessions of 2023 represent an inspiring milestone in China’s journey toward moderate prosperity, further bolstering the confidence and courage of all ethnic groups and ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity. Special report: Liu Xi, Chairperson—A Influential Figure of the New Era.

 

 

Smart valve positioners are primarily used for valve control in industries such as petroleum, chemical engineering, metallurgy, and power generation, directly impacting the quality and efficiency of end products. As intelligent field instruments within the valve industry chain, they represent core equipment—akin to an automobile’s engine or a computer’s CPU—and occupy a high-end position in the value chain. Yet for many years, China has relied on imports for this critical technology, with no domestically developed brands to call its own. To change this situation, Liu Xi resolutely returned to China in 2012 and founded Wuhan Tuoyou Intelligent Co., Ltd., dedicating the company to the R&D and innovation of smart valve positioners based on nozzle–flapper technology. During the publication of this report, another piece of good news emerged: Tuoyou’s smart valve positioner employing nozzle–flapper technology has been awarded the 2023 National Science and Technology Progress Award (under public announcement).

The Beginning of a Dream: Seeking Abroad

From an early age, Liu Xi consistently excelled academically. In 1983, he was admitted to Huazhong University of Science and Technology with the second-highest score in the entire county, and in 1987 he was directly recommended for graduate studies as the top student in his class. During his graduate program, in addition to his primary focus on microelectronics, he also took elective courses in automation, which laid a solid technical foundation for his later career choice in the field of automation. After graduation, he joined a state-owned enterprise directly under the Provincial Department of Information Industry, where he has devoted more than two decades to the fields of industrial automation and artificial intelligence, accumulating extensive technical expertise.

In 2010, by sheer chance, Liu Xi traveled to North America for an exploratory study tour, seeking entrepreneurial opportunities. While in the United States, he hosted a friend from China who was engaged in the marketing of petrochemical instrumentation. During their conversation, Liu keenly noticed the high-end intelligent control systems for pneumatic valves—a field characterized by steep technological barriers that remained largely untapped in China, where domestic capabilities lagged far behind those of developed countries in Europe and North America. At the same time, he recognized that “domestic substitution” in the industrial sector would enter a golden decade of growth over the next ten years. Coupled with the project’s high technical barriers, promising industry trends, and a sizable market, it perfectly embodied the key attributes of a viable startup venture.

Although Liu Xi identified a technological gap in this field within China, achieving domestic substitution and breaking free from reliance on imports in the short term would clearly be no easy feat. Consequently, he settled down and focused his efforts on tackling key technical challenges related to low-power design for positioners as well as self-tuning and adaptive control algorithms. Over the course of two years, whenever he encountered insurmountable technical hurdles, he would pore over technical literature, seek advice from seasoned industry experts and academic teams, and collaborate with colleagues overseas. Whenever inspiration struck or a viable approach emerged, he would restart the process—rebuilding circuits, developing software algorithms, conducting experiments, and performing rigorous testing. During this period, he experienced three major setbacks; yet it was likely both his unwavering commitment to creating a high-end, intelligent valve positioner made in China that addresses critical gaps in the industry, and the resilient, tenacious character he had cultivated since childhood—character traits that only grow stronger in the face of adversity—that kept him going. In the second half of 2011, Liu Xi led his team to achieve a preliminary breakthrough in the critical technologies underlying the low-power design of positioners based on nozzle–flapper technology, as well as the associated self-tuning software algorithms.

 

 

Continuation of the Dream: Domestic Creation

With the technical challenges now resolved, the question became: Should he incorporate a company in the United States, or return to China to start up? He wrestled with the decision, and many of his friends even advised him to establish the business in the U.S. Yet at the crucial moment, his deep sense of national pride proved decisive. Liu Xi said: “If I were to set up a company in the U.S., from a purely financial standpoint, it would certainly be a sound choice. But in that scenario, the industry would simply gain another imported brand—while Chinese brands would remain absent, with no one stepping in to fill the gap. Given this reality, why not develop a high-end, smart valve positioner that is truly made in China, build a strong Chinese brand, and address the industry’s critical shortcomings? As a pioneer in domestic substitution, I’ll take on the responsibility.”

 

 

Wuhan Tuoyou R&D Center

Driven by dreams and high aspirations, Liu Xi boarded a flight back to China and, in 2012, founded Wuhan Tuoyou Intelligent Co., Ltd., which focuses on advanced, intelligent control of pneumatic valves. The company provides end-to-end, one-stop solutions—based on nozzle–flapper technology—for smart valve positioners, serving customers across industries such as oil, chemicals, coal chemicals, metallurgy, power, papermaking, and pharmaceuticals, as well as valve manufacturers. During his first year back in China, Liu Xi worked tirelessly to gain a deep understanding of the market and to lay the groundwork for the company’s future growth and expansion. As a returnee with cutting-edge expertise who chose to start a business in China, Liu and his company have received extensive entrepreneurial support and awards from the Ministry of Science and Technology, as well as from provincial, municipal, and district-level authorities. In 2013, the “R&D Project for Smart Valve Positioners Based on Nozzle–Flapper Technology” was awarded funding under the Innovation Fund of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Provincial Department of Science and Technology; in 2018, the “High-End Smart Valve Positioner Project Based on an Industrial Cloud Platform” was selected for the 3551 Optics Valley Talent Program, and Liu was honored with the title of “11th Batch of 3551 Optics Valley Innovative Talent.” In 2020, the “R&D Project for Key Technologies in Advanced Intelligent Control of Pneumatic Valves” received support as an enterprise innovation project from the Wuhan Municipal Science and Technology Bureau.

 

 

Intrinsically Safe Smart Valve Positioner

Only when our weak links are addressed and we are no longer held back by others can we truly stand tall. That is why Liu Xi has never dared to rest; he has relentlessly pursued innovation. To date, under his leadership, the team has overcome numerous technical challenges and secured 44 patents, including 8 invention patents, thereby establishing a robust technological moat. The product has now advanced to its fifth generation, obtained TÜV’s SIL3 safety certification, and meets the standards of developed countries in Europe and North America. Nearly 30,000 smart valve positioners under the Tuoyou brand are currently in use across power, metallurgy, chemical, and other industries, demonstrating successful domestic substitution. Over the past three years of the pandemic, many sectors have faced operational difficulties; yet Tuoyou achieved a year-on-year revenue growth of 76% in 2022—a remarkable accomplishment. This is precisely why Liu Xi has led the Tuoyou team in steadfastly committing to the domestic substitution track. On the technology front, the company is already laying out R&D for the sixth-generation digital valve positioner, aiming for 100% domestic chip integration in hardware and, in software, not only delivering high-end intelligent control of valves but also—more importantly—enabling online fault diagnosis to provide a technical platform for condition-based maintenance. In terms of market strategy, Tuoyou has outlined a plan to double its business over the next three years.

 

 

Flameproof and Explosion-Proof Intelligent Valve Positioner

An intelligent valve positioner is a type of valve positioner that leverages microprocessor technology and digital signal processing to perform data handling, decision-making, and two-way communication, thereby functioning as an intelligent process-control instrument. It is capable of automatically detecting the zero point, full-scale range, friction coefficient, and control parameters of the associated control valve—without any manual adjustment. With the rapid advancement of computer technology, electronic technology, communication technology, and intelligent predictive diagnostic techniques, market demand for intelligent valve positioners has been steadily increasing. As a critical component of industrial automation, the intelligent valve positioner plays an indispensable role. However, this class of smart products is characterized by high technological barriers, with key core technologies remaining firmly in the hands of foreign firms, leaving China’s intelligent valve-positioner technology relatively underdeveloped. Consequently, many critical processes in China’s industrial process control are subject to technological constraints imposed by foreign suppliers, which severely hinders the country’s drive toward greater automation and intelligence in industry and, more broadly, impedes safe production and technological progress.

From the United States to China, from New York to Wuhan, the entrepreneurial journey has been marked by both hardship and joy. With the dream of “transforming China’s backward industrial landscape,” Liu Xi has persevered, steadily advancing step by step toward the future.

Dream Outcome: China Enjoys

Since its founding in 2012, Wuhan Tuoyou Intelligent has been steadfastly committed, under the leadership of Liu Xi, to the R&D of intelligent valve positioners—dedicating itself wholeheartedly to a single field and a single mission, day in and day out. In 2013, the company’s independently developed Model A V1.0 made its debut at the Wugang Oxygen Plant, successfully replacing four German-made SAMSON intelligent valve positioners. Subsequent monitoring and feedback have confirmed that these four positioners have been operating smoothly and reliably for eight years, thereby validating the technology’s proven reliability.

 

 

In 2013, the TORLEO brand from Wugang Oxygen Plant replaced the German SAMSON positioner.

In 2017, WISCO experienced its second-ever grid outage since the plant’s inception, during which backflow of spray water occurred in the secondary cooling workshop of the Cold Rolling Mill, causing all 43 American FISHER positioners and valves to fail. Despite an urgent request for assistance from FISHER, the response was that a replacement would take more than 50 days. With the plant forced to halt production due to the incident and daily losses reaching as high as one million yuan, the workshop swiftly turned to Wuhan Tuoyou Intelligent, hoping they could turn the tide. Upon receiving WISCO’s request, Liu Xi personally led a team to the site, leveraging his expert technical skills to diagnose the problem on-site and develop a retrofit plan. Initially, five positioners were replaced for performance testing; custom mounting brackets were fabricated and installed around the clock, and the installation was successfully completed within three days, with test results fully meeting the workshop’s process requirements. Subsequently, WISCO placed an emergency order for the remaining 38 units, completing the entire retrofit in just two weeks, thereby ensuring safe production, minimizing losses from the outage, and reducing retrofit costs by two-thirds. WISCO also highly commended Tuoyou’s professional commitment to “domestic substitution” and their meticulous, detail-oriented technical approach.

 

 

In 2017, the No. 2 Cooling Water Workshop of WISCO’s Cold Rolling Mill replaced the American Fisher positioner.

Following this breakthrough, Wuhan Tuoyou Intelligent quickly made a splash and established itself as a rising star in the industry. At the end of 2018, Yue Dian Jinghai Power Generation Co., Ltd. procured 34 positioners to replace ABB units for damper control in its 660 MW generating units, achieving one year of flawless operation. By the end of 2019, the company placed another order for 34 positioners, once again successfully substituting ABB products and maintaining stable performance. In early 2020, TORLEO Tuoyou positioners were deployed on the steam turbine side of a 1,000 MW unit to replace SIEMENS equipment, controlling FISHER valves with outstanding results. This marked the first domestic project to replace imported components with domestically produced equipment in the largest power-generating units, fulfilling the dream of every Tuoyou employee and becoming a source of pride for the entire team.

 

 

Domestic Substitution at Zhuhai Jinghai Power Plant in 2019

“Cutting-edge R&D, creating for the world” is the strategic starting point for Tuoyou’s R&D project initiation, driving innovation by benchmarking against the world’s leading technological standards. Over the past decade, led by Liu Xi, his team has focused exclusively on developing intelligent valve positioners based on the “nozzle-flapper plus symmetrical diaphragm valve” architecture—the most challenging technology in the field. First, this technology is among the industry’s critical “chokepoint” technologies, with exceptionally high technical barriers that help build a robust technological moat and steer clear of cutthroat red-ocean competition. Second, it demonstrates outstanding resistance to moisture and oil contamination in field applications, resulting in extended service life and low static air consumption—making it both energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. This aligns perfectly with Liu Xi’s long-standing R&D philosophy: maximizing customer value. Upholding the principles of focus, innovation, and responsibility, Tuoyou continues to forge ahead. Following its successes in the metallurgy and power sectors, the company is now writing new chapters of excellence in oil, petrochemical, fine chemical, and coal chemical industries. Examples include the Gudao CNG station at Sinopec Shengli Oilfield, the Guangdong Petrochemical project, the Guizhou Aerospace Wujiang Mechanical & Electrical Gel project, and multiple coal chemical projects at Shandong Lihua Yi—and in each of these, TORLEO Tuoyou-branded positioners or ODM products are deployed, fulfilling the mission of domestic substitution.

 

Domestic Substitution at the Gudao CNG Station of Sinopec Shengli Oilfield in 2019

 

2021 Guizhou Aerospace Wujiang Aerogel Project: China-Made Intelligent Valve Positioner

 

In terms of brand building, Liu Xi places great emphasis on this area. In 2019, the company entered into a strategic partnership with China Central Television (CCTV), and TORLEO smart valve positioners were selected as a featured brand for CCTV’s “Credit China” promotion program. Founder Liu Xi was invited to CCTV’s studio for a half-hour entrepreneurial interview with a renowned host. That same year, Wuhan Tuoyou Intelligent was awarded the title of “Integrity Enterprise” by the Ministry of Commerce in recognition of its ethical business practices, and was also designated as a national “3.15 Quality Assurance Commitment Unit.” Furthermore, Liu Xi was honored as one of the “Top Ten Craftsmen of China’s Economy” for 2019. In 2020, Wuhan Tuoyou Intelligent Co., Ltd. received the National Business Quality Award—one of the few national-level honors that carry equal weight with the National Science and Technology Progress Award. The company’s TORLEO smart valve positioner product was also recognized with the Wuhan Municipal Science and Technology Innovation Award. In 2022, Liu Xi, representing the company, supported the development of a group standard for smart valve positioners, which sets certain technical specifications higher than the national industry standards, thereby leading technological advancement in the sector. For these achievements, Liu Xi’s decade-long entrepreneurial journey at Tuoyou—focused on domestic substitution—was featured in December 2022 by the central media outlet “Study in China.” Today, the tree of their dreams is laden with abundant fruits.

 

Selected as One of the Top Ten Craftsmen in China’s Economy for 2019

 

Against the backdrop of great-power competition, domestic substitution in critical sectors has become the central focus of the rivalry. We must firmly grasp the “key link” of independent innovation in core technologies: achieving domestic replacement and ensuring autonomous controllability is not only the inevitable path for numerous critical fields and industries, but also carries the glorious mission of national rejuvenation. Under the leadership of Liu Xi, Wuhan Tuoyou Intelligence will forge ahead with relentless innovation on the journey toward the industrial revival of a major power—embracing an unbounded spirit of creativity, pioneering new approaches, and continuing to overcome obstacles and press forward with courage.