Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-12-11
ABOUT FRAzH ICE
SERIOUS OBSTRUCTION
DEER RIPS STATION

/. An Of us have heard about natural
ice, artificial lee. icebergs, icicles and
ice cream But how many kReW what
-.frazil" ice Isl
Here Is q term that .is net even
found IN CROSSWORD po1sles, and yek
the Accommodations Of fraxf Ice A. 10
canal at the Deer Rips STATEN Of the
Central Maine Power Company on the
Androscoggin above Lewiston has Just
BEEN q -sfickers for the station engi-
leers. During the recent Geld snap 50
much frazil Ice accumulated in the
canal. and was swept against tias
trash racks that prevent river debris
from entering the power ststion
wheels, that the plant was forced 70
shut down last Sunday morning and
repair the damage. done.
No one really knows how frazii Zee
II formed, but the engineers at the
Deer Rips, hydro eiedIkic power sta
don are familiar enough with It. 1t ID
said to be one. of the peculiar fefma-
tions OF nature that occurs only when
conditions arg perfectly favorable.
Only three times in the last II years
has It even slightly affected the oper-
alton Of the Deer Rips station. Il Is
really as little known about az any
thing on our rivers. although an ex-
haustive study Is now being made of II
on the st. Lawrence.
Frazil ice forms only on rips or
water that IS moving too fast to freeze
over entirely when the temperature is
below 10 above zero. fahrenheit. The
contact of the extreme cold tempera-
ture above with the surface of the
moving water forms minute crystals
of ice. The peculiar feature of the
formation Of fraxil ice is that crystals
sink beneath the surface Of the water
even going to the bottom, as they
are often covered with silt when they
rise again-and then return to the sur
face where they are carried down
stream0sWherever there are obstruc-
lions. such -as trash racks at the Deer
Rips station. they collect. first near
the surface and then accumulate down
towards the river or canal bottom un-
til the obstruction may be completely
covered with the particles Of ice and
dirt carried along by them. They cling
until released by warmer tempera-
lures.
While little is known about the ply
steal nature Of their formation. and
the cause for their sinking and return
ing to the surface. 1t is believed that
the difference in temperature between
the surface water and the deeper
water, the freezing temperature of the
atmosphere in contact with the sur
face. and the motion Of the water. all
combine favorably to produce the ice
which has been a real source Of trou-
BILE to power stations in northern cli-
mates. Not every year-indeed, sell
dom oftener than once IN five years.
20 hi 60 hat
formation that they cause serious
trouble. And the only season Of the
year in which there is any danger Of
their formation is late November.
This year ut the Deer Rips station
they collected on the hundreds Of lean
ing racks, each less than an inch
apart, which act as sleeves In clearing
the water before it enters the water
wheels. and formed an effective bar.
rier. Less and less water flowed into
the station until the entire plant was
closed down by the obstruction. The
water on the inside of the racks began
to lower as it was gradually consumed
by the wheels for power purposes.
Last Sunday morning. while the
power and light consumers of Central
Maine Power Company in that vicini-
ty, continued to enjoy service from
the company's fnter-connected system
Of lines to other stations. the ice was
removed. The entire local circuit was
switched over onto the other lines
without any interruption in service.
From three o'clock Sunday morn
ing Chief Engineer Harris at Andro-
scoggin Electric Company and a crew
OF II men worked at the station, drain
ing out the canal and taking out the
trash racks. About noon Sunday the
canal was again filled and the water
was turned back into the power sta
ton. The generation of power at the
Deer Rips station was again resumed.
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