Potrerillos dam

Potrerillos dam
	The reservoir with the dam (in the center of the picture)
	location
Coordinates	32 ° 59 ′ 41 ″ S , 69 ° 7 ′ 41 ″ W Coordinates: 32 ° 59 ′ 41 ″ S , 69 ° 7 ′ 41 ″ W
country	Argentina
place	Mendoza Province
Waters	Río Mendoza
Height upstream	1377.3 m
	power plant
owner	Provincia de Mendoza
operator	CEMMPSA
construction time	1999 to 2003
Start of operation	2003
	technology
Bottleneck performance	122.8 megawatts
Average ; height of fall	170 m
Expansion flow	20 m³ / s
Standard work capacity	520 million kWh / year
Turbines	Francis turbines : 4 × 30.7 MW
	Others

The Potrerillos Dam ( Spanish Represa Potrerillos or Dique Potrerillos ) is a dam with a hydropower plant in the province of Mendoza , Argentina . It dams the Río Mendoza to a reservoir. The dam and the associated power station Cacheuta (span. Central hidroléctrica Cacheuta ) are also known as the hydropower plant complex Potrerillos - Cacheuta (span. Complejo hidroeléctrico Potrerillos - Cacheuta ).

The dam is used for flood protection and electricity generation. Construction began in January 1999. It was completed in 2003. The dam and the hydroelectric power station are state-owned ( Provincia de Mendoza ). The license for the operation was transferred to the CEMMPSA in December 1997.

Barrier structure

The barrier structure is a CFR dam with a height of 116 m above the river bed . The top of the dam is at a height of 1386.3 m above sea level . The length of the dam crest is 450 (or 480) m, its width at the crown 11.1 m. The volume of the barrier structure is 6.3 million m³.

The dam has both a flood relief system ( overflow funnel type ) and a bottom outlet . A maximum of 1800 (or 2200) m³ / s can be discharged via the flood discharge, and a maximum of 350.4 m³ / s via the bottom outlet.

Reservoir

The normal storage destination is between 1342.3 and 1377.3 m. With a storage target of 1377.3 m, the reservoir extends over an area of around 13.95 km² and holds 451.46 million m³ of water. The maximum storage destination is 1381.3 m.

power plant

The power plant's machine house is located about 4 km from the dam in the village of Cacheuta on the left bank of the river. The installed capacity is 122.8 (or a maximum of 126.4) MW . The average annual production is given as 520 million kWh .

The 4 Francis turbines have a maximum output of 30.7 (or 31.6) MW each and the associated generators each 39.2 MVA . The nominal speed of the turbines is 500 min ⁻¹ . The fall height is between 120 and 175 m. The flow rate is 20 m³ / s (maximum 80, minimum 16 m³ / s).

After the water has passed the turbines of the power station, it is first passed through a tunnel and then through a canal to the Alvarez Condarco power station, around 7 km away .

Web links

Commons : Potrerillos dam - collection of images, videos and audio files

Paredón del Dique Potrerillos, Mendoza. YouTube , November 16, 2017, accessed May 12, 2019 (Spanish).

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Inventario de Presas y Centrales Hidroeléctricas de la República Argentina 2. (PDF) Ministerio de Planificación Federal, Inversión Pública y Servicios, January 1, 2011, pp. 21-41 , accessed on May 11, 2019 (Spanish ).
^ Potrerillos Hydroelectric Power Plant Argentina. Global Energy Observatory, accessed May 12, 2019 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d MATRICE ENERGETICA INTEGRAL DE LA PROVINCIA DE MENDOZA. (PDF) web.archive.org, April 1, 2007, pp. 30–32 , accessed on June 13, 2019 (Spanish).

[mi-1] Inventario de Presas y Centrales Hidroeléctricas de la República Argentina 2. (PDF) Ministerio de Planificación Federal, Inversión Pública y Servicios, January 1, 2011, pp. 21-41 , accessed on May 11, 2019 (Spanish ).

[geo-2] Potrerillos Hydroelectric Power Plant Argentina. Global Energy Observatory, accessed May 12, 2019 .

[ar-3] MATRICE ENERGETICA INTEGRAL DE LA PROVINCIA DE MENDOZA. (PDF) web.archive.org, April 1, 2007, pp. 30–32 , accessed on June 13, 2019 (Spanish).