Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1907-09-20
NOVELTY POWER HOUSE
BUILT UkDfR WAItR
Turbines in New Maryland Water
Plant are. Placed Inside the Dam.

The Patapsco Electric & Manufac-
turing Co, Leicester. Md. recently
completed new dam and power house
which have many unique features
The power house is placed inside of the
dam with the waste water passing
over the top of II. The dam Is situated
on the PatapSco river, about one ano
one half miles below the company's
ether plant, or about three miles from
Eliicott City and five miles from the
western limits OF Baltimore.
The part of the dam used as a
power house is $50 feet long. IA feet
high and % feet wide. except at the
buttress. where il is Is feet The pow
er equipment consists of two 81 nch
horizontal turbine waterwheels running
at 24O revolutions per minute, each di-
rect connected to alternating current
generators. The voltage is unusual,
but the transmission lines cover such
a large territory that it was decided to
use. Il. OOO-volt generators in place OF
stepping the current up.
The turbines are fitted with COVER
nors. so arranged that either will con-
troll both wheels when the generators
are run in multiple. The generators
have 125-volt bolted eXciters.
The switch board located at the end
of the power house is 10 feet S inches
long and feet inches high. stands
II feet from the wall. and is enclosed
by grill work on each end II is fitted
with three Voltmeeters. two OF which
are connected directly with two phases
and other through plugs, so that the
other phase of either generator can be
read. A synchroscope is placed under
the volt-meters, all of which are
mounted on swinging brackets attach
ed To the end of the board. As the ex-
citers are arranged TO be operated in
multiple, a regulator is used for con-
trolling the voltage of the generators.
Three ammeters have been provided
for each generator. so that it can be told
at glance if either phase is over
loaded.
Polyphtse indicating watt meters
have been provided. one for the street
service a d the other to indicate the
total output. also two polyphase re-
cording watt meters. one for street SER
vice ard the other for the commercial
circuits. a polyphase curve-drawing
watt meter is further used for re-
cording the total output of the plant.
The leads to the generators and COM
mercial and street feeders are fitted
with distant control oil circuit breakers
with disconnecting switches. The
breakers for generators have time limit
relays 50 in case of trouble on the out
side feeders. they will not be thrown
before the others.
The part of the dam used for housing
the plant is fitted with a false ceiling
hung five feet from the inside so as TO
protect the apparatus from any water
that might seep through the deck. The
ceiling slopes until il reaches the verti
cal sides forming the power house. The
side next to the tail waters il fitted
with windows. These windows furnish
plenty of light. even when the water
is flowing over the dam two feet dep.
The part of the dam not protected b.
the false ceiling is comparatively dry,
as ver- little water gathers on the in
side OF the deck. and what does collect
thereflOws down the concrete deck I'M
til il reaches the drain al the bottom.