LAKE COLERIDGE.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18668, 17 April 1926, Page 16

LAKE COLERIDGE.

RISK OF .OVERLOADS. j PROVISION FOR RELIEF. 1 The.Public Works Department realises the rift of overloading 1 unduly the power plant at Lake Coleridge. The turbines and generators are of British manufacture, and they have up till now stood up to the extraordinary demands' made on them, representing 2740 k.w. above their normal'capacity. It is not known What further demands will be made'on them before the new generating set of. 7500 k.w. is m commission in the recent addition to; the Power House at the lake, nor is it actually known what their .ultimate overloa'd capacity might be, but it is not intended dangerously to overtax Mr A. Gavey, of the r head office of the Hydro-Electricity Branch, who was in charge of the ; Lake Cblendg* scheme in Christchureh two or three years ago, visited the new portion of the Power House this- week, in company with the Resident Electrical Engineer, Mr R. G. Mac Gibbon. "Although we are not'feeling any concern regarding the generating sets," Mr'Gavey told a reporter yesterday, "and though the machinery is all in irst-class condition we are not anxious to run at these'excessive overloads. The progress being made with the installation of the new generator set,- capacity 7500 k.w., is satisfactory, and there is every, prospect of getting supply. from. it early in' July. v\ e expect to manage until the new. set is in operation' without unduly inconveniencing the public." • '' " Stand-By Plantß. Jf' necessary; Air Gavey added, the Department could call on stand-by plants which could supply a total ot 1800 k.w.—the Tramw"ay Board plant with*a capacity of 1000 k.w.. and plants at Ashburton and Timaru, the capacity, of each being 400 k.w. On Tuesday there was finally .tested out at the Addington sub-station the new 6000 k.v.a. synchronous condenser, arid it has been in ' operation * since. This condenser will relieve things cohsiderablv, as far as the maximum load is concerned, by, reducing hue-losses, ah,d ;-excitation ,losses- at,,the.., Power House. The. relief anticipated is between 300 and 400 k.w. This machine is'believed to be the largest of its kind either in New Zealand or Australia-at the present. time. • The. Christchureh City Council recently had'a, 2000 machine installed. • . . It is considered that' ty will be m the interests of. the public if, the load is restricted as much as (possible her tween.4 p.m. and 5.30 p.m., and that, this can be done by • economising the use 'of power 'for lighting between the hours mentioned.