Water Turbine - Box Canyon Hydro Project - Ione, WA
Posted by: 
T0SHEA
N 48° 46.833 W 117° 24.960
11U E 469439 N 5403144
One will find this turbine at the Box Canyon Hydro Administration Building.
Waymark Code: WMJHRX
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 11/21/2013
Views: 2
The first of four scheduled for replacement, this Kaplan type turbine was put on display at the Box Canyon Hydro Project after it was replaced with a newer, more efficient one in 2011. There are four turbines in total in the powerhouse, with two yet to be replaced.
Completed in 1956 by the Pend Oreille Public Utilities District, this was the first hydroelectric project in the nation to be built by a PUD. Though it impounds a substantial(55 miles long) lake behind it, the Box Canyon Dam is a run-of-the-river project that was built at the exit of a narrow channel commonly known as Box Canyon. The powerhouse has four Kaplan type turbines with "Umbrella" type generators. The project was designed with space for a fifth unit. The powerhouse is a part of the dam, with the water entering at its upper wall, then flowing through the turbines, obviating the need for exterior penstocks.
The first of four turbine-generator unit upgrades was completed in March 2011. The second turbine upgrade was completed in 2012, and the third and fourth turbine upgrades will be done in 2013 and 2014. The new turbines are more fish friendly, with four runner blades instead of the original five. More efficient than the 50 plus year old turbines, the upgrade should increase generation capacity by approximately 18 megawatts. Total capacity should increase from 69 MW to 87 MW, a substantial increase of 14%, solely by replacing turbines.
