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Cripple Creek District
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Last updated: 29.05.2010 09:25
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Modern Machinery June 1900
(page 201-204)
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PIKE'S PEAK COMPANY'S
POWER PLANT.
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BY J W. DICKERSON.
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 NO
installation in the Rocky Mountain region where so much
capital is now being expended in noteworthy plants is of
greater interest than the wonderful power transmission
system of the Pike's Peak Power company of Victor, Colo.
This
great and splendid enterprise was promoted by the Woods
Investment company of Victor and Colorado Springs, at
whose head stand Warren Woods, president, F. M. Woods,
secretary and treasurer, and H. E. Woods, manager.
The
industry and enterprise of these gentlemen have
contributed a preponderating share in the development of
that wonderful gold producing country during the last few
years. By the consolidated companies represented by the
Woods Investment company, there are now employed
approximately a thousand men.
The
Messrs. Woods have been greatly prospered in their
activity in the gold camp, and they have shown a striking
genius for big deals. They have believed confidently in
the future of the famous camp, and their profits have gone
back into improvements which have enhanced its prosperity.
This
last enterprise will prove of great interest to every
engineer, and the brilliant way in which the tremendous
obstacles have been overcome will appeal to the
imagination of the layman.
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Mr. R.M Jones, Electrical Engineer of
the Pike's Peak Power Company. |
The
engineer in charge of the work is Mr. R. M. Jones of
Salt Lake City, a gentleman of marked engineering
ability and fertility of resource, who has been
identified with many of the most noted electrical
plants since the early days. Many will remember his
name particularly in connection with the big
Cottonwood Plant, that splendid transmission system
in Utah.
The
officers of the Pike's Peak Power company are: President,
Warren Woods secretary, F. M. Woods treasurer, H. E. Woods
engineer, R. M. Jones. |
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CONSTRUCTION OF DAM. |
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The Camp at Skaguay.
Showing a Small Part of the Construction Gang. |
This
company having a capital stock of $1,000,000 has
purchased, located and acquired the necessary lands
near the confluence of the Beaver Creeks, ranging
from seven to twelve miles from Cripple Creek and
Victor, Colorado.
Here
is being located what is said to be the largest
steel-faced granite back-filled dam in the United
States. This structure is in length 375 feet across
the cap. Along the base the length is 210 feet.
Across the cap the cross section is 16 feet, and
across the greater part of the base, 138 feet, with
a slope of one to one. On the lower slope, and 30
degrees from the vertical, is the upper slope being
the space which the steel plate occupies. |
Laid
up with careful preparation are blocks on the upper and
lower surfaces, with loose granite filling in the
intervening space. The steel plate is built up of sheets 5
by 15 feet and 0.5 inch in thickness for the bottom, 8
plates in height. Continuing the plate is reduced in
thickness to 0.375 of an inch, and finally at the cap, it
is 0.25 of an inch in thickness.
The
entire sheet is riveted up with horizontal butt straps,
and 4 by 5 by 0.5 inch angle bars placed vertically the
entire height of the dam across each interval of 15 feet
for the entire length of the dam. The five inch leg of
each pair of angle bars projects into the reservoir and
constitutes a standing joint seam, with an iron liner
0.375 by 2 inches, riveted between the extreme outer
points of these angle bars, thus making a thorough
expansion joint and providing that expansion and
contraction may be taken up within each section of 15
feet.
The
bottom end connection of the entire sheet is concreted
into a deep channel-way, quarried out of the bed rock, and
the bottom terminates in two pairs of 5 by 8 inch angle
bars, which are riveted through the plates.
The
end connections are prepared in exactly the same manner,
but are applied vertically. The quarrying of the bed rock
channels was carried out horizontally in each case to a
point rising to an elevation, and thence the raise was
made abruptly in terrace form.
The
entire sheet is riveted up and calked in the same thorough
manner as in boiler practice. A space of two inches was
left between the steel plates and smooth surface of the
granite wall for backfill. This narrow space is taken up
by, sand, gravel and sedimentary deposit, the filling
being applied with ample water and permitted to dry before
water pressure was allowed to be exerted.
From
a point 200 feet below the Skaguay tunnel, where the
static pressure reaches 270 feet, the line consists of
steel pipe 20 inches in diameter in various thicknesses of
plates, ranging from 0.1875 to 0.75 of an inch, as
required to meet the internal pressure with an ample
factor of safety.
The
total length of steel pipe, including the receiver, is
8,400 feet, and on an incline averaging 38%. It passes
over grades constructed through a tougher granite
formation in respect to roughness than ever was
encountered in railroad construction in Colorado.
At
one point it passes through an inclined tunnel 260 feet in
length, just above which is a bridge 70 feet in height,
and at various points there are extremely deep open cuts.
From the south end of the Skaguay Tunnel the pipe line is
entrenched in the grade on which is constructed a narrow
gauge railway leading from the tunnel to the power house,
and operated on practically a 38% grade.
This
road is the only means of access to the power house. The
car is operated by a powerful double-hoisting engine.
The
upper terminus of the railroad lies under a vertical ledge
70 feet in height, and it is necessary to lower all
machinery, apparatus and materials of all kinds by boom
and derrick, taking loads from the wagon at the summit and
lowering them 70 feet down the ledge to the cars, from
which point the load is lowered by friction brake on the
hoist, equipped with a 0.75 inch steel cable.
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STATION "A." |
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power house, Station "A." has dimensions 38 by
88 feet, and is located on the summit of a granite
projection surfaced off true to grade. The building is
constructed of concrete with steel and arched roof,
concreted floor, and is absolutely fire-proof. |
The
nozzles used with which to produce the required power, as
applied under 1,160 feet effective head obtained, require
only a diameter of one inch to produce energy of 236 horse
power including losses. The nozzles for each unit vary in
diameter, one having the capacity of the generator, and
the corresponding nozzles for the other wheel in the same
unit being somewhat reduced.
Each
wheel in each unit will produce power for the full
capacity of the generator connected. In operation,
however, it is proposed to install such a varied diameter
or capacity of nozzles as to permit the operation of the
full capacity of the load demand from time to time by the
operation of nozzles under full pressure, and but slight
loss in water due to regulation for low loads.
The
nozzles are of the deflecting type, and work under full
pressures at all times, which, is the cause of such
variation in the diameters of the nozzles. The regulation
is of the "Armstrong" type, owing to the belief
of the engineer that automatic regulation under existing
conditions could be only a failure, without reference to
the class applied.
Due
care and provision have been taken to extend the actual
control and regulation of each unit to a point directly in
front of the switchboard panel belonging to that unit. The
receiver running longitudinally through the building under
an arch constitutes the flooring.
The
discharge or tail-race water returns directly under the
receiver to the north or upper end of the building at
which point it will later unite with water conducted from
a point 800 feet above Station "A," where a
catcher-dam is to be constructed, and the water diverted
from the Beaver stream channel.
There
is a considerable accumulation of water between the dam
and Station "A," and it is the purpose of the
company to unite the waters used through Station
"A" with the accumulation in the stream, and
conduct the combined waters through a pipe line of larger
diameter to a point one-fourth mile below the forks of the
east and west Beaver Creek, at which point there will be
constructed Station "B."
There
will be built a small pipe line up the east Beaver to the
same static level as the tail-race water of Station
'"A." The waters of both pipe lines will be
united before entering the receiver. The pressure of
Station "B"' will be also 1,160 feet or 504
pounds pressure per square inch.
With
the added accumulation of water obtainable it is believed
that 3,500 horse power will be obtained.
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ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. |
The
electrical generators will be four 400 kilowatt General
Electric machines, three phase, thirty cycles, with
stationary armatures and rotary fields, making 450
revolutions per minute. In some respects, the dynamos are
different in design from any generators yet manufactured.
As
already mentioned, the generators will be driven directly
connected to the water wheels. The four-pole exciters,
direct current machines, have a capacity of 30 kilowatts
each, running at 675 revolutions per minute, producing an
exciting current at 70 volts, each having a sufficient
exciting current for all four generators, while working at
full load. |
In
reference to the efficiency of the water wheels, it may be
stated that they are guaranteed to develop 83% of power on
their shafts at full load under conditions when the
nozzles are in normal position. In considering the
efficiency of the water wheels, the General Electric
company's generators are assumed to have a commercial
efficiency of 94% at full non-inductive load, therefore
with every 33,000 foot pounds of water the water wheels
will produce in current one indicated horse power less 17%
loss in the wheels and 6% loss in the generators,
delivering 78-100 horse power or 582 watts from the
brush-holder terminals of the generators.
All
water connections are tested to 800 pounds pressure to the
square inch. In making the efficiency tests, measurements
are made through the standard weir commonly used in the
United States. The developed power is measured by the
highest grade of electrical instruments obtainable.
The
switchboard apparatus is especially liberal in design, and
is made up of one exciting current panel, four generator
panels, two distributing panels, two high tension panels,
and one paralleling or synchronizing panel. Each panel is
made of Vermont marble, 62 by 36 inches, with a sub-base
28 by 36 inches, and two inches in thickness, with a
complete equipment of indicating and recording
instruments, switches and regulating apparatus.
The
main line switches from each machine are operated
independently cither for power or light. The circuits are
arranged so that any or all the machines may be applied on
either circuit. The transformers are six 250 kilowatt air
blast converters of one General Electric make, having 600
volts on the primaries and 12,600 on the secondaries.
The
twelve complete sets of lightning arresters are of the
General Electric make. The cable connections between the
generators and switchboard and from the switchboard to the
transformers are all highly insulated, paper, rubber,
lead, and laid in conduits in the concrete floor.
The
line transmission from Station "A" to the center
of distribution (at the Gold Coin mine at Victor) includes
a distance of eight miles by the pole line. The circuits
consist of three power wires, No. 4 B. and S. G., and the
lighting circuits of three No. 6 B. and S. G. which are
ample to deliver 1,600 kilowatts at less than a five per
cent energy loss.
The
poles will also carry for telephone purposes two No. 10
galvanized iron weather-proof wires. The insulators were
furnished by R. Thomas & Sons Company of East
Liverpool, Ohio, They are 5.5 inches in diameter of
porcelain and each is made up of three independent cups.
In manufacture, they are subjected to a 40,000 volt salt
test.
The
line voltage will be 12,000 or 12,600, the current being
generated at the latter figure to compensate for any line
loss.
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PLANS FOR EXTENSIONS. |
It
is the purpose of the company to construct an independent
transmission line from Station "B" to the
distributing station in Victor including the connection of
the line circuits through switchboard connections through
Station "A," thus permitting the use of the
entire energy of both stations to work in parallel over
either station's line or to work each station
independently and synchronize at the sub-station, or
distribute independently, as desired.
Thus
with two complete pipe lines, pole lines and generating
station systems, the most unquestioned reliability may be
counted upon. The distribution of light and power,
together with the company's independent telephone system,
will radiate in the customary manner to the various mills
and mines operated by the owners of the Pike's Peak Power
company, the Woods Investment company, which at the
present time, prior to the starting of the station, has
nearly a sufficient demand for the entire product to be
generated at Station "A."
In
reference to the future distribution, just what the policy
of the company will be cannot now be stated. |
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