Journal of Energy Engineering

When the head on a hydroelectric powerplant is between about 250–700 m (800–2,300 ft) the turbine can be either an impulse or reaction Francis unit. For each type of unit the operating characteristics and design of the powerplant will be substantially different. This paper outlines a comparison of the two types of powerplant, which was undertaken for the 136 MW Cat Arm Development in Newfoundland, where a gross head of 386.5 m (1,268 ft) is harnessed. The initial cost‐benefit analysis indicated that a Francis unit should be selected, but a Pelton unit was chosen, based on an analysis of the operating characteristics and other unquantifiable benefits.

This paper reports the results of ah experimental program designed to determine the effect of clamp geometry on conductor static and dynamic strain levels in the vicinity of the clamp and to assess the effect of clamp geometry on conductor fatigue performance. This was accomplished by manufacturing four generic suspension clamp assemblies to support Drake ACSR (795 kcmil) conductor specimens during static and dynamic testing. For each clamp geometry tested, the conductor was instrumented with strain gages to determine strain levels in the conductor strands. Static tests consisted of varying the conductor parameters with three sag angles and three tension levels at each sag angle for each clamp geometry. Dynamic tests consisted of forced vibration tests for each clamp geometry for a single set of line parameters. The investigation showed that both the static and dynamic strain levels increased significantly with decreasing clamp radius of curvature, whereby the most adverse strain level was reached with a 15.2‐cm (6‐in.) radius clamp. As expected, based on the static and dynamic strain data, the fatigue performance of the conductor decreased with decreasing clamp radius. The fatigue performance exhibited by the conductor supported in a 15.2‐cm (6‐in.) radius clamp was inferior to those supported in longer radius clamps.

The Schneider turbine can generate power from relatively low‐head hydroenergy sources such as rivers and irrigation canals. In the current work, the theory and analysis of the Schneider turbine have been established, together with the procedure for selection of the main design parameters leading to optimum performance. Moreover, a model of this turbine has been constructed and tested in a specially designed test rig. The successful operation of the Schneider turbine model under various values of relatively low heads proves that such design is suitable for low head applications. Also, the good agreement between the experimental results and the theoretical predictions validates the current theory and analysis.

This paper describes the engineering and construction features of the Circulating Water System (CWS) at the 643 MW Somerset Station located on the south shore of Lake Ontario, approximately 45.06 km (28 miles) northeast of Buffalo, New York. The paper discusses the aspects of the CWS that are unique to Somerset Station (including fish deterrent/fish return system, staged diffuser, intake velocity cap, etc.), and the provisions made in the design to satisfy the stringent licensing requirements of regulatory agencies having jurisdiction over the project such as the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Finally, the unconventional construction techniques which were used to enable the system to be built within the framework of a tight construction schedule and environmental constraints are discussed.