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Politics : Rat's Nest - Chronicles of Collapse -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (10309)	4/20/2010 10:41:03 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 24213

Hoover Dam turbines set for upgrade to cope with drought Published: 23 hours ago By James Cartledge The Hoover Dam's water store, Lake Mead, has record low water levels because of the drought downstream The US Bureau of Reclamation has awarded a $3.4 million contract to Andritz Hydro Corporation to upgrade generating facilities at the Hoover Dam. Andritz Hydro, which is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, will design and manufacture a new “wide head” turbine runner for the Number Eight generating unit at the power plant on the Nevada side of the Colorado River. The turbine runner is the water wheel portion of the generating unit, turned by the flowing water to drive the generator. Andritz Hydro will provide systems to allow the generators to provide power more smoothly and efficiently when water in Lake Mead is at lower levels because of the current drought in the region. Under the $3,404,380 contract, the new runner will be delivered to the dam by February 2012 for installation by the Bureau of Reclamation, which is part of the US Department of the Interior. Extended deal The agency said if the runner performs as expected, it may exercise a contract option for additional runners for Number Five and Six generators in the Nevada power plant and the Number One turbine in the power plant on the Arizona side of the river. The extended deal could add a further $11.56 million in orders to the project, with the new turbine runners delivered in November 2013, 2014 and 2015. Commissioner of Reclamation Michael L Connor said last week: “The new turbines will allow the generating units to operate more efficiently over a wider range of lake levels than the existing turbines do.” “That will enable Hoover Dam to generate power more efficiently as the water level behind the dam fluctuates between low and high elevations,” explained Commissioner Connor. The new turbines will allow the generating units to operate more efficiently over a wider range of lake levels” - Commissioner of Reclamation Michael Connor The Hoover Dam has 17 turbine units in commercial operation – nine in the Arizona wind and eight in the Nevada wing. The Dam provides power to customers in southern California, southern Nevada and Arizona under 30-year contracts running through to 2017. Currently designed to operate when water levels in the lake are down to 1,050 feet above mean sea level (MSL), the N-8 turbine will be upgraded to operate efficiently with water levels in Lake Mead are as low as 1,000 feet above MSL. The lake’s water level is currently around 1,099 feet above MSL, 120 feet below full operating levels, because the Hoover Dam has needed to allow more water into the Lower Colorado Basin to cope with the worst drought on record in the basin since the early 1900s. brighterenergy.org