Castaic dam
| Castaic dam | ||
|---|---|---|
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| location | ||
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| Coordinates | 34 ° 35 '14 " N , 118 ° 39' 24" W | |
| country |
 United States
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| place | los Angeles | |
| Waters | Castaic Creek → Santa Clara River | |
| power plant | ||
| operator | Los Angeles Department of Water and Power | |
| Start of planning | 1966 | |
| construction time | -1978 | |
| Start of operation | 1973 | |
| technology | ||
| Bottleneck performance | 1507 megawatts | |
| Average height of fall |
323 m | |
| Turbines | 7th | |
| Generators | 7th | |
| Others | ||
The pumped storage plant Castaic (Castaic Power Plant, also Castaic Pumped Storage Plant ) with seven turbine / generator units operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), is among the ten largest hydroelectric power plants in the USA.
Location
The Castaic pumped storage plant is located about 35 km from the northern city limits of Los Angeles at the upper end of the western arm of Lake Castaic. The joint venture between the City of Los Angeles ( Los Angeles Department of Water and Power ) and the State of California ( California Department of Water Resources ) provides peak-load power from the waterfall of the western branch of the California Aqueduct . The agreement between the two to build the project was signed on September 2, 1966.
Castaic power plant
The Castaic Power Plant has six 250 MW reversible machine sets (pump turbines) with generators and a conventional 55 MW auxiliary machine. For comparison: the largest generator on the Hoover dam has an output of 130 MW. The continuous output of the power station is 1247 megawatts (the nominal installed output is higher [approx. 1500 MW], but when the machines run at full output, they are slowed down by friction losses in the water inflow). The 55 MW unit (Unit 7) was commissioned in February 1972. This unit also serves as a starting aid for the six pump turbines. The first of these went into operation in 1973. Unit 6, the last, entered service in 1978. The generators generate a voltage of 18,000 volts, which is converted to 230,000 volts in order to be distributed to various customer stations in Los Angeles. Each of the six 250 MW units functions as both a pump and a turbine. Each pump has a power consumption of 235 kW when it pumps with a flow rate of 65 m³ / s.
Pump storage operation
The pump pre-basin, which is separated from the main reservoir by a dam, works in conjunction with the pumped storage operation. This ensures the availability of at least 12.3 million m³ of water, which can be pumped back into Pyramid Lake with excess energy. The pumping operation provides additional water to generate electricity via the inflow from the aqueduct. The city of Los Angeles needs electricity for peak demand between 3 and 6 hours a day in winter up to 6 to 10 hours a day in summer, depending on the climatic conditions. The water from the State Aqueduct is temporarily stored in the high-altitude Pyramid Lake during times of low consumption. This water can be passed through the turbines in a short time in order to meet peak demand immediately.
The Castaic dam
The Castaic dam is the dam on the lower basin, it is located near the city of Castaic (California) and is a 100 m high and 1,600 m long embankment dam with stone surfaces on both sides to prevent erosion. Even if the dam dams Castaic Creek to Castaic Lake, Castaic Creek delivers little water. The lake is the completion of the western branch of the California Aqueduct as part of the California State Water Project . The dam was built by the State of California and completed in 1973. The reservoir stores drinking water for the western part of the Greater Los Angeles Area . At the foot of the Castaic dam there is a small additional hydropower plant. The so-called Foothill Feeder has an output of 11 MW.
Castaic Lake sub-basin
The water from the Castaic Power Plant flows into Elderberry Lake (a pump fore-basin), from which it can be drained into Castaic Lake, which is dammed by the Castaic Dam. The Castaic Lake has a water surface of 9 km² and a storage capacity of 400 million m³. It has a normal maximum water level of 459 m above sea level. The amount of water in the lake varies with the water supply needs in the western branch of the State Aqueduct.
Upper basin of Pyramid Lake
The Pyramid Lake has a water surface of 5.58 km² and a storage capacity of 222 million m³ with a maximum water level of 786 m above sea level. Pyramid Lake is the upper basin of the Castaic pumped storage plant. The power plant is connected to Pyramid Lake by an 11.5 km long tunnel with a diameter of 9 m. This is where the pressure pipes are located , in which the water flows to the power plant at a height of 323 m.
Moated castle
The moated castle , an important part of the hydropower plant, is located at the southern end of the Angeles Tunnel. It can be seen from the Templin Highway, and it is often mistaken for a water tank. It has a diameter of 37 m and a height of 122 m, of which 49 m are visible above ground. The container is used to take pressure from the tunnels and pressure pipes when the power plant is shut down and the lines are quickly closed, creating a pressure surge . It is also used to provide water to the turbines during a quick start before the water can start moving in the 11 km long Los Angeles Tunnel.
Web links
- Dams Within the Jurisdiction of the State of California (AG), California Department of Water Resources, Division of Safety of Dams , PDF file 152 kB, accessed June 21, 2013