POWER HOUSE.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 10912, 1 June 1929, Page 2

POWER HOUSE.

USE OF GENERATING PLANT

REVIEW OF POSITION

Tlic power-house generating plant formed the subject of an extensive report presented to the Poverty Bay Electric-power Board by the consulting engineer (Mr. H. E. Toogood) at yesterday’s meeting. This report stated :

“Due to faulty regulation .of a Y.P. generator and continued periods of overload condition when 'running inverted the. rotary has failed once. With the Government power available these conditions have altered and as the fault appears to have been satisfactorily repaired we do not anticipate further trouble. . TSicto lias been ordered a complete set of coils. Any damage done by recent burn-out and not yet discovered can be rectified by the installation of these. The action in ordering entirely new coils lias been taken because of the fact that it is difficult to localise a fault of the nature under consideration but by running experience and tests taken the Rotary appears to be satisfactory. ROTARY WORK LESSENING. “The present work of the Rotary is becoming less as the D.C. load disappears. Ultimately it will be used as an A.C. stand-by converting the 300 K.W. oi D.C. from the I)lends to A.C. Under these conditions it becomes a stand-by. If it should fail while. ]).< . is still required the Diesels can lie run to supply any D.C.' current required. In our opinion therefore there is no necessity to provide any additional converter capacity in the statiyu lor the purpose of supplying D.C. METHODS OK USING STEAM SETS. , “lii order to provide a means of using the steam set to its best advantage two methods are available; one is to provide a Rotary oi sufficient capacity to convert its lull D.C. output into A.C. Tins means loss of power and limitation of usefulness provided. As is to be expected the D.C. is a diminishing quantity. The other method is to instul an A.< ’. alternator in place of a D.C. generator. The second method appeals to us as the most reasonable onei to adopt because it offers greater benefits apart from its use as a stand-by and taking into consideration lower power. In ilie operation of the system the power factor will be lower than unity and synchronous condenser capacity will be oi eousidable use in rectifying this. PEAK LOAD QUESTION. “It is difficult to judge the exact power factor on peak but should the peak be a day one is expected that power factor will be' between 7-5 and 85 per cent. It will depend entirely on the amount of' motor load and number of transformers and other inductive load placed on the lines to what extent t lie power 1 actor is lielow unity.

“Taking the ease of a peak ol Y<l(.!(l K.Y.A. at 80 per cent, power facto! the actual liselul power would be 1600 K.W. The Hoard has iu pay tin Government on Iv.Y.A. mid tbcrelore could, under the above circumstance'', increase the power factor to unity the government meters would read BRIO K..YA.. or a reduction of 100 K.Y..V. on the amount charged. This at £8 per Iv.Y.A. amounts to £3201.1 a vear.

“When the- Y.P. Senr-Diesols wortinstalled they were equipped with a clutch which enabled the alternators to be run as synchronous condensers and the. capacity of these condensers is such that, they will maintain 95 per cent, per factor with a peak oi 200(1 N..YA. The other 5 per cent, would require more power off the lineto run the machine,s than the return will warrant and therefore uniting power factor is not sought. Aftei the peak load exceeds 2000 K..YA and.the power factor is about 80 pei cent, further condenser capacity will be warranted and to meet these circumstances the new alternator for the steam set should be installed with this in view.

“The cost of a new A.C. alternator equipped as a syncliromis condenser and provided with its complete would do altoul €2900 erected. The installation ol this set would add 400 K.W. at 8-3 per cent, or 4L; K.V.A. to the A.C. Capacity of the Station. If the power factor is below 83 per cent, a machine having 25 per cent, overload capacity for two hours would briny: the capacity up to at least 500 K.\ .A. CONDITION OF BOILERS. “ft is also necessary to consider the boilers. One has passed as firstclass, the other is under inspection new and is believed to bo in firstclass condition. The brickwork requires repairing and it is estimated that this will cost approximately ifso. In considering ibis matter, another phase should be kept in view and that is the quest ion of fuel oil. The worst feature <T !hc steam set as a stand-by is the storage of coal and it is desirable to eliminate ibis if possible. The use of loci oil ls practicable and desirable and when the furnace brickwork is hemp; attended to the furnaces should be altered to make rlieni suitable tor luol oil. At present we have no (inures hut thei'charire should nol cost more than £3OO and. this expenditure should result in having onlv one class ot lue' namely fuel oil wliiclv can tic- restored indefinitely witheut de'precial ion Steam could he raised more quick!’ and better supply ol slcam maintained Ilian willi deteriorated coal. “With regard to the remaining power plant it is not in had order but a regular routum ovcrbaul is warranted. This cvcrhaul sboulc consist of taking one engine in band per year, with the execution ol the VIP.' engines. Bv this" means two men couhl he constantly employed and at the same time provide staff for the smitchlu-ard and to start up and run the plant in times of neoes.sit.v.

STAFFING UK IJ()WItHl J ()WItH HOUSE

“While the Government lias only one unit running at W aikaveinoana, it is to lie expected that shut-downs will continue and it appears necessary to staff the power-house over 24 hours per dav in order to promptly start up one or two sets in the event of the supply fa ling. At present there is some difficulty in ascertaining the probable duration ol any shut-down. One night there was a ~nut-down of 35 minutes’ duration and the power-hiius.e- was informed that the service woo'd b? restored in a short time and noth ug was done to start up any of the sets. In future it would be wise to at once prepart to start up a set as soon as possible. Tin's calls for a man and a boy on the two night shifts, but both i ould he put to useful work and need not tie idled' [ '