Geelong Power Station, Victoria
Encyclopedia
The city of Geelong, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
was once home to two coal fueled power stations - Geelong A and Geelong B.
The first moves to providing an electricity supply to Geelong were made in 1898, with three separate companies vying for the right to operate in the city. Two of these companies merged to form the Electric Lighting and Traction Company of Australia, who built the Geelong A power station. The company was later taken over by the Melbourne Electric Supply Company, who remained the supplier of electricity to Geelong until 1 September 1930, when the company was purchased by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria
State Electricity Commission of Victoria
The State Electricity Commission of Victoria was a monopoly electricity generation, transmission and supply utility located in Victoria, Australia...
. In 1936 Geelong was connected to the state electrical grid, and by the 1960s Geelong A had closed. Geelong B remained for a few more years being used for peak loads only, but closed in 1970 due to the much higher efficiency of the new power stations in Victoria's Latrobe Valley
Latrobe Valley
The Latrobe Valley is an inland geographical region and urban area of Gippsland in the state of Victoria, Australia. It is east of the City Of Melbourne and nestled between the Strzelecki Ranges to the south and the Great Dividing Range to the north – with the highest peak to the north of the...
.
Geelong A
Design
The power station was originally of 200 kilowattWatt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s capacity, and supplied electricity at 440/220 volt
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
s DC current. Equipment at the station consisted of:
- two 100 kW Belliss-BrushBrush Electrical MachinesBrush Electrical Machines is a manufacturer of large generators for gas turbine and steam turbine drive applications, based at Loughborough in Leicestershire, United Kingdom....
steam dynamoDynamo- Engineering :* Dynamo, a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator* Dynamo theory, a theory relating to magnetic fields of celestial bodies* Solar dynamo, the physical process that generates the Sun's magnetic field- Software :...
s - two boilerBoilerA boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
s of dry back return tube type, operating at 120 psi steam pressure, with Green's economisers also fitted high brick chimneyChimneyA chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the... - 800 ampere hour secondary batteryBattery (electricity)An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
for lamps in the station.
Condensing water for the boilers was pumped from Corio Bay
Corio Bay
Corio Bay is one of numerous bays in the southwest corner of Australia's Port Phillip, and is the bay on which abuts the City of Geelong. The nearby suburb of Corio takes its name from Corio Bay.-Name:...
by electric pump via a cast iron rising main. The power station was only used in daylight hours, with the town run by batteries at night.
In 1920 the original equipment was scrapped, and a three phase
Three-phase electric power
Three-phase electric power is a common method of alternating-current electric power generation, transmission, and distribution. It is a type of polyphase system and is the most common method used by grids worldwide to transfer power. It is also used to power large motors and other heavy loads...
6000 volt
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
50 cycle
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
system was installed, giving a total generation capacity of 10,500 kilowatt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s (10.5 MW). The new works included:
- six John Thompson water tube boilers, with a 4557 sq ft (423.4 m²) of heating surface, and 200 psi gauge pressure
- four Erith-Riley multiple retort stokerStokerA stoker is "one who stokes".Stoker may also refer to:* A fireplace poker* Mechanical stoker - a coal-feeding device on a steam locomotive...
s, and two Underfeed company chain grate stokers set up in batteries of two - one 1,500 kW Brush-LjungstromBrush Electrical MachinesBrush Electrical Machines is a manufacturer of large generators for gas turbine and steam turbine drive applications, based at Loughborough in Leicestershire, United Kingdom....
turbo-alternator, and three further sets of Metropolitan-VickersMetropolitan-VickersMetropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, they were particularly well known for their industrial electrical equipment such as generators, steam...
3000 kW alternators. - an additional floor to the administration block
- new water tunnel to Corio Bay tunnelled
Three Peebles-La-Cour
Cascade converter
A Cascade Converter is a type of motor-generator which was patented in 1902 by J. L. la Cour and O. S. Bragstad.It consists of an induction motor driving a dynamo through a shaft...
rotary converter
Rotary converter
A rotary converter is a type of electrical machine which acts as a mechanical rectifier or inverter. It was used to convert AC to DC or DC to AC power before the advent of chemical or solid state power rectification...
s of 500 kilowatt capacity was also installed to supply DC current for the Geelong tramways and older DC city supplies. The fuel used was Black coal from Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
that was brought from fuel storage yards some distance away. The station was converted to burn brown coal briquette
Briquette
A briquette is a block of flammable matter used as fuel to start and maintain a fire. Common types of briquettes are charcoal briquettes and biomass briquettes.-Constituents of charcoal briquettes:...
s in 1931, with the stokers to the boiler replaced by locally produced ones of overfeed design. The use of black coal was phased out by 1937. After 1930 the station was transferred to the State Electricity Commission of Victoria
State Electricity Commission of Victoria
The State Electricity Commission of Victoria was a monopoly electricity generation, transmission and supply utility located in Victoria, Australia...
, and was operated with one generator set out of service, giving a useful capacity of 7500 kilowatts, and an overload capacity of 9375 kilowatts. The Geelong Harbour Trust had also been responsible for the supply of electricity to the port of Geelong, with these responsibilities acquired by the SECV from midnight 13 June 1938.
Closure
The rotary converters ceased functioning on 17 July 1961, resulting in the DC current supply being terminated. This also marked the end of 'Geelong A' as a generating unit. However, the plant was retained until 1967, with the sale of equipment being carried out in 1966-67, and dismantling and removal planned to take 7 to 8 months. Sale of the building was dependent on the SECV Distribution Depot being moved to North GeelongNorth Geelong, Victoria
North Geelong is a suburb of Geelong in the Australian state of Victoria. The suburb will be bypassed by traffic from Melbourne coming from the Princes Freeway by the creation of the Geelong Ring Road, due for completion in 2009....
, the conversion of older 6.6 kV feeders to a more modern 22 kV system, and the removal of the 6.6 kV switching structure and capacitor banks at old station. The building was sold at auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
on 11 June 1970 for $45,000 to a Mr I. Watson acting on behalf of unknown company. Development plans were floated for the site throughout the 1980s, but it was not until Bay City Plaza shopping centre was built that anything was done. The facade of the administration block remains as part of the shopping centre today.
Geelong B
The Geelong B power station was of 30,000 kilowatt (30 MW) capacity and located at North GeelongNorth Geelong, Victoria
North Geelong is a suburb of Geelong in the Australian state of Victoria. The suburb will be bypassed by traffic from Melbourne coming from the Princes Freeway by the creation of the Geelong Ring Road, due for completion in 2009....
on the edge of Corio Bay
Corio Bay
Corio Bay is one of numerous bays in the southwest corner of Australia's Port Phillip, and is the bay on which abuts the City of Geelong. The nearby suburb of Corio takes its name from Corio Bay.-Name:...
. It was also the largest power station in Victoria outside the Latrobe Valley
Latrobe Valley
The Latrobe Valley is an inland geographical region and urban area of Gippsland in the state of Victoria, Australia. It is east of the City Of Melbourne and nestled between the Strzelecki Ranges to the south and the Great Dividing Range to the north – with the highest peak to the north of the...
. The plant was officially opened by Honourable J.W. Galbally MLC, Minister in Charge of Electrical Undertakings, on 8 October 1954.
Geelong B was a 'packaged' station from components imported from the United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and was erected under contract for the State Electricity Commission of Victoria. The contract included the supply and erection of buildings, boilers, generators, transformer
Transformer
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic field...
s, switchgear
Switchgear
The term switchgear, used in association with the electric power system, or grid, refers to the combination of electrical disconnects, fuses and/or circuit breakers used to isolate electrical equipment. Switchgear is used both to de-energize equipment to allow work to be done and to clear faults...
and coal handling equipment, and putting the station into service.
The power station was of unusual design, with no conventional boiler house, the boilers being out of doors except for the boiler operating face, which helped to reduce building costs. Each of the three boilers was connected to a generator of 10,000 kW capacity. Cooling water for the power station was drawn from Corio Bay
Corio Bay
Corio Bay is one of numerous bays in the southwest corner of Australia's Port Phillip, and is the bay on which abuts the City of Geelong. The nearby suburb of Corio takes its name from Corio Bay.-Name:...
, and most of the power generated was used by local industry.
The boilers were automatically controlled, and produced 110,000 pounds of steam per hour (50 Mg/h) at 625 psi (4.3 MPa). Fuel was moved by belt bucket and scraper conveyors to the fuel bunkers, then delivered to the boilers by mechanical spreader stoker
Stoker
A stoker is "one who stokes".Stoker may also refer to:* A fireplace poker* Mechanical stoker - a coal-feeding device on a steam locomotive...
s.
The fuel used was brown coal purchased by the SECV from Wensley Brae open cut main at Winchelsea
Winchelsea, Victoria
Winchelsea is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is in the Surf Coast Shire local government area and located on the Barwon River 115 km south-west of Melbourne and close to Geelong .- History :...
, but from 1960 better quality coal was purchased from a mine at Anglesea
Anglesea, Victoria
Anglesea is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Great Ocean Road in the Surf Coast Shire local government area. At the 2006 census, Anglesea had a population of 2,290....
instead. (The Anglesea mine is now used to fuel the adjacent Anglesea Power Station
Anglesea Power Station, Victoria (Australia)
Anglesea Power Station is located at Anglesea, in Victoria, Australia within the floristically rich Anglesea Heath area. It is brown coal powered with one steam turbine with a capacity of 150MW of electricity, supplying almost 40% of the electricity used by the nearby Point Henry aluminium...
that opened in 1969.) A third change in fuel supplied occurred soon after, with the boilers being converted to use briquette
Briquette
A briquette is a block of flammable matter used as fuel to start and maintain a fire. Common types of briquettes are charcoal briquettes and biomass briquettes.-Constituents of charcoal briquettes:...
s brought to Geelong by rail from Yallourn
Yallourn, Victoria
Yallourn, Victoria was a company town in Victoria, Australia built between the 1920s and 1950s to house employees of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria, who operated the nearby Yallourn Power Station complex. However, expansion of the adjacent open-cut brown coal mine led to the closure...
.
By the 1960s the power station was only used to meet peak loads due to the high operating cost, and the station was closed in 1970 when newer power stations were opened in the Latrobe Valley
Latrobe Valley
The Latrobe Valley is an inland geographical region and urban area of Gippsland in the state of Victoria, Australia. It is east of the City Of Melbourne and nestled between the Strzelecki Ranges to the south and the Great Dividing Range to the north – with the highest peak to the north of the...
.