Power Hungry

Sign Conventions

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 04:34:00 +0000

After a long break from posting, I return with this reminder of what is important (credit XKCD.com):

Snoqualmie Falls

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 06:10:00 +0000

An old waterwheel

Metering panels

The generator room, notice the lit up "1898" display at the end of the room

These meter displays were hand drawn

An artist rendition of the generator room

Powerhouse #1, is completely underground

The turbine design

Communication wiring

The dam, which is really a retaining wall to keep the water level above the intakes

The edge of the falls

The original machine shop building

2000 V bus, much lower than modern installations

The penstocks to powerhouse #2

The falls are 100 feet higher than Niagara Falls

230 kV Transmission Switch and Line Intersections

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 06:23:00 +0000

Starting from the left: 115 kV with 12.5 kV underbuilt, 2-230 kV lines on the steel poles, and old 55 kV lines used as 12.5 kV distribution

One of the 230 kV lines dead-ends, the other heads into this switch

Up close of the switch, old style 230 kV

From the switch, the line intersects the line running across the photo

Heading along steel lattice towers

Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:22:00 +0000

A 500 kW solar site

Each panel outputs at roughly 30 V DC, then is inverted to 120 AC at a central inverter, and finally is stepped up to 34.5 kV

Wind turbines in the distance

A total of 127 Vestas V-80 turbines, rated at 1.8 MW each

The solar panels are at the top of the hill, at a distance

Each turbine is 80 meters tall

The base of a tower. Notice the number and size of the bolts

The stairs up to the base of a tower

Inside a tower near the base. Notice the ladder is attached to the tower by magnets, the communication and power cables (34.5 kV) coming up next to the ladder

A turbine blade

Upper Baker Dam

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:26:00 +0000

The powerhouse, seen from on top of the dam

The view downstream

Mount Baker

The dam from the powerhouse

The powerhouse substation

One of two hydroelectric generators

The water exhaust from the turbines

Generator windings

Lower Baker Dam

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:15:00 +0000

The view of Mount Baker from the dam

Downstream of the dam

At the foot of the dam

Looking across the dam, built in 1924. Notice the old (retired) pipe on the far side, which served as a salmon run

The view straight down, over the sluice gates

Sluice gate machinery

The powerhouse, built in the late 50's, slanted roof to protect the structure from landslides, which destroyed the original powerhouse. Notice the hefty crain, towering above
The high-side 115 kV lines come straight out from the building, the transformer is housed inside

The shaft coming up from the turbine

The valve to control flow into the turbine

Below the valve, the 20 ft diameter intake pipe

The governor

The transformer, housed within the powerhouse, water-cooled by the dam