Ertan Dam
Encyclopedia
The Ertan Dam is an arch dam
on the Yalong River
, a tributary of the Yangtze River
in Sichuan Province, southwest China
.
The dam has six hydroelectric
generators
, each with a generating capacity of 550 MW. The total generating capacity of the facility is 3,300 MW, one of the largest hydroelectric stations in China. The annual production is 17 TWh
, and until December 5th 2006, it has produced over 100 TWh of electricity. Construction of the dam started on September 1991 and was completed on December 26, 1999. A total of 12638000 cubic metre of material was excavated during construction.
's which contain 7 x floodgate
s at the crest and two flood tunnels can discharge 6260 m3/s and 7400 m3/s respectively. The dam also contains 6 x middle outlets and 4 x bottom outlets
that can discharge 6930 m3/s and 2084 m3/s respectively. The dam's power station is located underground along with its transformer room which is in a separate cavern. Additionally, the power station is supported by an underground surge chamber as well.
Arch dam
An arch dam is a type of dam that is curved and commonly built with concrete. The arch dam is a structure that is designed to curve upstream so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, compressing and strengthening the structure as it pushes...
on the Yalong River
Yalong River
The Nyag Qu or Yalong River, also called Ya-lung River is an 822 mile long river in the Sichuan province of southern China. It flows into the Yangtze River along the border with Yunnan. It is a tributary of the Yangtze River...
, a tributary of the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
in Sichuan Province, southwest China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
The dam has six hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
generators
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
, each with a generating capacity of 550 MW. The total generating capacity of the facility is 3,300 MW, one of the largest hydroelectric stations in China. The annual production is 17 TWh
TWH
TWH or twh could refer to:*Tennessee Walking Horse, a breed of horse* Toronto Western Hospital, a hospital in Toronto, Canada* TWH Bus & Coach, a bus company in Romford, England* Terrawatt-hour, measure of electrical energy, 1012 watt-hours...
, and until December 5th 2006, it has produced over 100 TWh of electricity. Construction of the dam started on September 1991 and was completed on December 26, 1999. A total of 12638000 cubic metre of material was excavated during construction.
Design
The Ertan Dam is a 240 m (787 ft) high and 774.7 m (2,542 ft) long double-curvature arch dam. The dam withholds a normal reservoir of 5800000000 cubic metre with a drainage area of 116400 km² (44,942 sq mi) and normal surface area of 101 km² (39 sq mi). The dam has four different ways to discharge water downstream. First, the dam's spillwaySpillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
's which contain 7 x floodgate
Floodgate
Floodgates are adjustable gates used to control water flow in flood barriers, reservoir, river, stream, or levee systems. They may be designed to set spillway crest heights in dams, to adjust flow rates in sluices and canals, or they may be designed to stop water flow entirely as part of a levee or...
s at the crest and two flood tunnels can discharge 6260 m3/s and 7400 m3/s respectively. The dam also contains 6 x middle outlets and 4 x bottom outlets
Outlet works
A set of outlet works is a device used to release and regulate water flow from a dam. Such devices usually consist of one or more pipes or tunnels through the embankment of the dam, directing water usually under high pressure to the river downstream...
that can discharge 6930 m3/s and 2084 m3/s respectively. The dam's power station is located underground along with its transformer room which is in a separate cavern. Additionally, the power station is supported by an underground surge chamber as well.
See also
- List of conventional hydroelectric power stations
- List of power stations in China