水运仪象台是北宋建造的一座天文仪器，代表着中国古代天文仪器制造上的最高成就，本文在三个方面进行了研究：一是对古籍史料的整理。《新仪象法要》《仪象法纂》《神道大编历宗通议》是水运仪象台研究的原始文献。本文基于对比分析，梳理了原始文献之间的关系，绘制了新的《新仪象法要》版本源流图。二是对早期研究史的挖掘。“翻斗”和“定斗”是水运仪象台枢轮的两种复原方案。二者之间的争论已有数十年，却无人厘清过两种复原方案的诞生始末，遂使复原工作陷入僵局。本文通过追溯“翻斗”和“定斗”两种复原方案的源头，揭示出两种复原方案都是建立在对原文的错误理解之上这一事实。这一结果表明：无法严格根据《新仪象法要》进行复原，任何复原模型都不能自诩正确，应当对一切符合古代技术背景建造的复原模型保持开放态度。三是技术背景考证，即从水运仪象台所继承的技术传统出发，分析它的结构原理。本文通过把水运仪象台还原到它所继承的水利机械传统之中，达致对“铁鹤膝”等部件结构的正确理解，并论证了“翻斗”比“定斗”更加符合中国古代技术传统的发展趋势。

Su Song‘s astronomical clock-tower is an astronomical instrument built in the Northern Song Dynasty, representing the highest achievement in the manufacture of astronomical instruments in ancient China, which is studied in three aspects in this paper:First, the collation of ancient historical materials. Xin YiXiang FaYao, YiXiang Fa Zuan , and Shendao DaBian LiZong TongYi are the original documents for the study of Su Song‘s astronomical clock-tower . Based on the comparative analysis, this paper has sorted out the relationship between the original documents and drawn a new chart of the version of Xin Yi Xiang Fa Yao.The second is the excavation of early research history. The "flip-scoop" and "fixed-scoop" are the two restoration schemes of the driving-wheel of Su Song‘s astronomical clock-tower. The debate between the two has been decades, but no one has clarified the birth of them, so that the restoration work has reached an impasse. In this paper, I trace the origin of the two restoration schemes of " flip-scoop " and "fixed-scoop", and reveal the fact that both restoration schemes are based on the wrong understanding of the original text. This result shows that it is impossible to restore the model strictly according to Xin YiXiang FaYao, and no restoration model can claim to be correct, and we should keep an open attitude to all the restoration models built in accordance with the ancient technological background.Thirdly, the technical background test, that is, from the technical tradition inherited by Su Song‘s astronomical clock-tower, analyze its structural principles. In this paper, by restoring Su Song‘s astronomical clock-tower to the water conservancy machinery tradition it inherited, we achieve a correct understanding of the structure of the "iron crane knee" and other components. It is also demonstrated that the "flip-scoop" is more in line with the development trend of the ancient Chinese technological tradition than the "fixed-scoop".