SUPPLY OF POWER

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 63, 14 February 1939, Page 9

SUPPLY OF POWER

GALE DAMAGE TO LINES. MANAAVATU-OROUA BOARD. The damage done to electric power lines during the storms of last month was reported upon by the chief engineer (Mr TV. A. Waters) to the monthly meeting of the ManawatuOroua Electric Power Board yesterday. “The gales which occurred on January 15,” he snid, “'and on subsequent days for a wee’s kept the staff particularly busy and they had to work long hours on several nights under very trying conditions. The cables on Awahuri Road, in the Eeilding borough, broke in several places, and are being replaced. Trees broke other wires, and poles got on fire, due, in several cases, to salt spray. We had two fires even on 3300 volt-lines due to this cause, the first time this has happened since the lines were erected 15) years ago. The insulators on the 11,000-volt fuses, which are .20,000 volts rating, also broke down in numerous cases, and these are all being replaced out of renewals with a new designed insulator. We were fortunate in the fact that we only lost one transformer; this was burnt out. duo to trees. Cross-arms were burnt off. due to hay on tho lines. During the storm one night a neutral wire to a house broke in Racecourse Road, but the loose end was blown over the live wire and tho neutral one became alive on the road. The livening up of the road resulted hi a mishap to the racehorse Catalogue, and it was extremely fortunate that the results were not more serious, for animals arc particularly sensitive to shocks. The potential gradient on the road would bo something under 230 volts, but anything around of) volts is enough to injure a horse,” Mr Waters said.

“A large number of new service lines were run to consumers, particularly for pumps, while a -100-volt line in Milford Read was completed to supply extra load, and to add more capacity to the existing lines, in several instances, wires were changed to larger sizes, and extra lines run on existing poles to supply additional loads. Supply was given to tho following eonsumere during the month: Lighting and heating, 13; ranges, 14; water heaters, 21; motors for milking, 3; other motors, 17; industrial motors, 3; additions to existing installations. 39; total, 110. A new street lamp was erected in York Street, Feilding, and three poles were changed to 31ft. to get clearance over 1?. and T. Lineo.”

Mr J. Boyce presided over the meeting and there were also present Messrs M. A. Eliott, J. Hodgcns, M.P., W. McKay, J. H. Mason, E. G. Guy, W. A. Bickers, J. A. Nash, N. Campbell. L. A. Hogg, C. G. C. Dernier, and TV. G. Shannon.

It was decided to congratulate the staff on the efforts made during the storm conditions to effect repairs to lines and keep up an uninterrupted supply of electricity. A letter was read from the Kimbolton School Committee asking that streamers of coloured lights be erected in the township on the occasion of the school’s 50th jubilee to be celebrated early in March.—lt was decided to comply with the request. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The engineer reported on general matters as follows: Maintenance work lias been carried out to service lines in Te Matai, Rangitikei Line, Lockwood, Karere, ltongotoa, Asbhurst, Penny’s Line, II aipo Road, Himatangi, Makowhai, Carnarvon, Nannestad’s Line, etc. One service line at Himatangi required eight new poles. The work of erecting the new Ohakca cables is proceeding on Newbury Lino and within a week the twin circuit line from Bunnvthorpe to Newbury will be completed. The poles are erected from Newbury Line to Kai lwi, while the poles are carted to dump sites at Mt. Stewart in readiness for erection. Eighty tons of copper cable arrived during the month for the Ohakea line, all being delivered in twelve weeks from England, from date of order, which was cabled. The work of erecting the 11,000-volt line at Main South Road, Eangiwahia, was started after the holidays and is now nearing completion, while the contractors are already wiring the consumers’ premises. Most of the poles have been carted to the Pabikikura job from Hunterville. Tho cartage to this job lias been one of the mostdifficult yet experienced, due to hair-pin bends on the road. The deviation of the Awahuri Road, near Lee’s Line, has mado it necessary to erect approximately half a mile of 400 volt-line to supply pumps to settlers. This line has been completed, but several existing poles will have to be shifted to conform to the new road alignment. The tests of all earth wires as required by the regulations have been started in order to supply the necessary return to the Government. Both freezing works are taking larger loads this year, and one of them is near the full capacity of the transformer bank, while the other is up to the full load of the copper in the line. The substation load this quarter has already reached 6876 K.V.A. ’lhe Public Works Department is changing the main transformers at Bunnythorpe to a total of 15,000 K.V.A. in place of the existing 9000 K.V.A., in the near future. The matter of the rupturing capacity of our breakers and the question of reactors has already been the subject of an interview with Mr Kissed, and I have asked the manufacturers of our circuit breakers for the latest design information on the rupturing capacity and their views on the matter.