Inventions; Science; Technology -- Social aspects; Technology and civilization
In mountainous country where rivers are comparatively small and their
courses are marked by numerous falls and rapids, it is generally
necessary to utilize the fall of a stream through some miles of its
length in order to get a satisfactory development of power. To reach
this result rather long canals, flumes, or pipe lines must be laid to
convey the water to the power stations and deliver it at high pressure.
California offers numerous examples of electric power development with
the water that has been carried several miles through artificial
channels. An illustration of this class of work exists at the electric
power house on the bank of the Mokelumne river in the Sierra Nevada
mountains. Water is supplied to the wheels in this station under a
head of 1,450 feet through pipes 3,600 feet long leading to the top
of a near-by hill. To reach this hill the water after its diversion
from the Mokelumne river at the dam, flows twenty miles through a canal
or ditch and then through 3,000 feet of wooden stave pipe. Although
California ranks second in water-power development it is easily the
first in the number of its stations, and also be it said, California
was the first to realize the possibilities of long distance electrical
energy. The line from the 15,000 horsepower plant at Colgate in this
State to San Francisco by way of Mission San Jose, where it is supplied
with additional power, has a length of 232 miles and is the longest
transmission of electrical energy in the world. The power house at
Colgate has a capacity of 11,250 kilowatts in generators, but it is
uncertain what part of the output is transmitted to San Francisco, as
there are more than 100 substations on the 1,375 miles of circuit in
this system.
Another system, even greater than the foregoing which has just been
completed is that of the Stanislaus plant in Tuolumme County,
California, from which a transmission line on steel towers has been
run in Tuolumme, Calaveras, San Joaquin, Alameda and Contra Costa
Counties for the delivery of power to mines and to the towns lying
about San Francisco Bay. The rushing riotous waters of the Stanislaus
wasted for so many centuries have been saved by the steel paddles of
gigantic turbine water wheels and converted into electricity which
carries with the swiftness of thought thousands of horse power energy
to the far away cities and towns to be transformed into light and heat
and power to run street cars and trains and set in motion the mechanism
of mills and factories and make the looms of industry hum with the
bustle and activity of life.
It is said that the greatest long distance transmission yet attempted
will shortly be undertaken in South Africa where it is proposed to
draw power from the famous Victoria Falls. The line from the Falls
will run to Johannesburg and through the Rand, a length of 700 miles.
It is claimed the Falls are capable of developing 300,000 electric
horse power at all times.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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