Powerhouse: (Satellite)
Funicular: (Satellite)
This power generating station provides electricity for the nearby Gotthard Tunnel operation. [32:41 video @ 0:54]
 |
| safe_image for Ritom Pumped-Storage Plant Project - Tunneling Under Extreme Conditions [The article has remarkably little information, but it does provide the link for the following video. Fortunately, after the 15-sec introduction, that video is excellent. It has a nice combination of animation and live action. And the narration is full of information without a single platitude (teamwork, safety, quality, customer satisfaction, etc.). And I don't remember a single talking head in it.] |
 |
| 32:41 video @ 2:09 |
Each turbine handles 8 cubic meter per sec (280cfs) with a head of 800m (half mile). [@ 19:33] I was shocked by how low the flow is. Then I realized that the power would be a product of the flow and head (water pressure). A huge head allows a low flow. That would explain why the tailrace from the power house is so small. I noticed how small it was when I first looked at the satellite map.
 |
| Satellite |
When I looked at the dam, I noticed there is no outlet and water in the downstream riverbed.
 |
| Satellite |
So I looked for penstocks to take the water to a powerhouse. Instead, I found a funicular (inclined railroad).
 |
| Satellite |
I presume the funicular was built to help build and maintain the penstocks, and then it proved to be a viable tourist attraction. The penstocks are small because the large 800m head needs just a small flow.
 |
| ritom |
These are four Pelton turbines with a total capacity of 44mw. [WorldPumps]
 |
| Per Stobbe, Aug 2018 |
The two pentstocks down the mountain side are split into four to feed the turbines.
 |
| Per Stobbe, Aug 2018 |
Not only did they build a new powerhouse for the pumped storage facility, but they also built a lake at the foot of the mountain. This had not yet shown up on the satellite image above. The new powerhouse has two 60mw units. [gem]
Two 60mw Pelton turbines are used to handle the high water pressure. A separate 60mw pump is used to replenish the high reservoir. I think this article is saying that the pump can also generate power. [WorldPumps]
 |
| Ritom SA, Oct 2018 |
The dam is 27m (56') high and 309m (1014') long. [ritomsa_data]
 |
| Street View, Oct 2014 |
.jpg) |
| marti-tunnel Their video at the top of these notes is much more informative than their web site. |
 |
| herrenknecht "From the 1960s, engineers have been planning a modern and efficient pumped storage system. As part of the complete replacement of the power plant, this is now to be implemented and an underground pressure tunnel is to be built in three construction phases. The centerpiece, the middle, around 1,500 meter long inclined shaft, is being excavated with a completely redesigned Herrenknecht Gripper TBM. The project is unique. The hard rock machine manufactured at the main Schwanau plant starts its drive 600 meters deep in the rock in a cavern created at Lake Ritom. After a 901 meter long ascent of 23 degrees and crossing under the river Foss, the TBM presses itself into the rock mass for a 633 meter long steep ascent of 42 degrees. This represents an extreme gradient of 90 percent. The 95 meter long, 290 tonne machine is reliably prevented from slipping backward on the one hand by the gripper and on the other by a specially designed and already proven knuckle lever device in the anti-slip gripper unit. The machine thus remains securely wedged in the rock mass at all times. Because, however, the relatively small machine diameter of 3.23 meters made the knuckle lever mechanism difficult to access, a technical innovation and optimization by the engineers was required. During the drive it can now be conveniently adjusted mechanically using wedges moved by cylinders." |
No comments:
Post a Comment