Hunanzhen Dam
Encyclopedia
The Hunanzhen Dam is a trapezoidal buttress dam
on the Qiantang River
, located 27 km (17 mi) south of Quzhou
in Zhejiang Province, China. The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation but it also serves to provide for flood control and irrigation water supply. Construction on the dam began in 1958 but was halted in 1961. It recommenced in 1970, the first generator was operational in 1979 and the project complete in 1980. The original installed capacity of the dam's power plant was 170 MW but the plant was expanded with an additional 100 MW generator, commissioned in 2006.
es. The dam's crest is 7 m (23 ft) wide while the base wall is 11.84 m (39 ft) wide. The dam has 18 buttresses with the spillway
section located in the center. The dam's crest sits at an elevation of 242 m (794 ft) above sea level and the spillway's crest is 223 m (732 ft) above sea level. The spillway is controlled by five radial gates and within the center four of the six piers supporting the spillway chutes are four outlets. The maximum discharge capacity of the spillway and outlets is 10600 m3/s. The dam sits at the head of a 2197 km² (848 sq mi) catchment area and withholds a reservoir of 2067000000 cubic metre. The dam's power stations are located downstream around the natural river bend and water is supplied via a 1.4 km (0.869921831309729 mi) tunnel. The original power house contains four 42.5 MW Francis turbine
-generators and the expansion power house, located just downstream, contains one 100 MW Francis turbine
-generator.
Buttress dam
A buttress dam or hollow dam is a dam with a solid, water-tight upstream side that is supported at intervals on the downstream side by a series of buttresses or supports. The dam wall may be flat or curved. Most buttress dams are made of reinforced concrete and are heavy, pushing the dam into the...
on the Qiantang River
Qiantang River
The Qiantang River is a southeast Chinese river that originates in the borders of Anhui and Jiangxi provinces and passes through Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, before flowing into the East China Sea through Hangzhou Bay....
, located 27 km (17 mi) south of Quzhou
Quzhou
Quzhou is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Zhejiang province, China. Sitting on the upper course of the Qiantang River, it borders Hangzhou to the north, Jinhua to the east, Lishui to the southeast, and the provinces of Fujian, Jiangxi and Anhui to the south the south, southwest and...
in Zhejiang Province, China. The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation but it also serves to provide for flood control and irrigation water supply. Construction on the dam began in 1958 but was halted in 1961. It recommenced in 1970, the first generator was operational in 1979 and the project complete in 1980. The original installed capacity of the dam's power plant was 170 MW but the plant was expanded with an additional 100 MW generator, commissioned in 2006.
Design
The dam is a 129 m (423 ft) tall and 440 m (1,444 ft) wide trapezoidal buttress dam, much like a gravity dam but thinner and with buttressButtress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es. The dam's crest is 7 m (23 ft) wide while the base wall is 11.84 m (39 ft) wide. The dam has 18 buttresses with the spillway
Spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
section located in the center. The dam's crest sits at an elevation of 242 m (794 ft) above sea level and the spillway's crest is 223 m (732 ft) above sea level. The spillway is controlled by five radial gates and within the center four of the six piers supporting the spillway chutes are four outlets. The maximum discharge capacity of the spillway and outlets is 10600 m3/s. The dam sits at the head of a 2197 km² (848 sq mi) catchment area and withholds a reservoir of 2067000000 cubic metre. The dam's power stations are located downstream around the natural river bend and water is supplied via a 1.4 km (0.869921831309729 mi) tunnel. The original power house contains four 42.5 MW Francis turbine
Francis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....
-generators and the expansion power house, located just downstream, contains one 100 MW Francis turbine
Francis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....
-generator.