The Hungry Horse Project Power Development

F. M. W I L S O N
MEMBER AIEE

L O C A T E D O N T H E S o u t h F o r k of t h e F l a t h e a d R i v e r
in n o r t h w e s t e r n M o n t a n a a r e t h e H u n g r y H o r s e D a m
a n d Power Plant which constitute a key unit in a c o m p r e ­
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s c o n s i d e r a b l y b e t t e r t h a n t h e m i n i m u m speci­
fied. Tests indicated t h e direct-axis rated-current tran­
s i e n t r e a c t a n c e t o b e a b o u t 18.6 p e r c e n t a n d t h e s h o r t - c i r c u i t
h e n s i v e p r o g r a m for m u l t i p l e - p u r p o s e d e v e l o p m e n t of t h e ratio to be a p p r o x i m a t e l y 2.36. A line-charging capacity
vast r e s o u r c e s of t h e C o l u m b i a R i v e r a n d its t r i b u t a r i e s . c u r v e o b t a i n e d f r o m test r e s u l t s w h e n e x t r a p o l a t e d t o z e r o
T h e variable-thickness arch-type concrete d a m has a e x c i t a t i o n s h o w e d a g e n e r a t o r l i n e - c h a r g i n g c a p a c i t y of
v o l u m e of 2 , 9 3 4 , 0 0 0 c u b i c y a r d s a n d a h e i g h t a b o v e t h e a p p r o x i m a t e l y 159,000 kva at rated voltage.
l i m e s t o n e b e d r o c k of 564 feet. A m o n g c o n c r e t e d a m s i n t h e A u t o m a t i c v o l t a g e r e g u l a t i o n is p r o v i d e d b y a r o t a t i n g -
U n i t e d S t a t e s it r a n k s f o u r t h i n v o l u m e a n d t h i r d i n h e i g h t . a m p l i f i e r - t y p e e x c i t e r w h i c h is i n s e r t e d i n t h e m a i n e x c i t e r
F o r m e d b y t h e d a m is a r e s e r v o i r w i t h a s u r f a c e a r e a of field c i r c u i t i n series w i t h t h e field r h e o s t a t . V o l t a g e r e g u ­
22,500 a c r e s a n d a c a p a c i t y of 3 , 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 a c r e - f e e t . An lator operation d u r i n g overspeed was tested on each m a ­
i n t e r e s t i n g f e a t u r e of t h e p r o j e c t is t h e g l o r y - h o l e i n c H n e d - chine b y suddenly rejecting 110-per-cent r a t e d load at
shaft-type s p i l l w a y w h i c h h a s a c a p a c i t y a t t h e m a x i m u m r a t e d p o w e r f a c t o r . T h e u n i t s a t t a i n e d o v e r s p e e d s of a b o u t
reservoir e l e v a t i o n of a p p r o x i m a t e l y 5 0 , 0 0 0 c u b i c feet p e r 2 5 p e r c e n t following t h e l o a d r e j e c t i o n s a n d t h e r e g u l a t o r s
second. T h r e e 96-inch-diameter outlet pipes controlled b y maintained the generator voltage within approximately
hollow-jet v a l v e s p r o v i d e for r e g u l a t i o n of r e s e r v o i r o u t f l o w 110 p e r c e n t of n o r m a l u n d e r t h e s e c o n d i t i o n s .
during normal operation. C o n t r o l s for t h e g e n e r a t i n g u n i t s a r e l o c a t e d i n t h e m a i n
T o obtain the maximum prime power and the m a x i m u m control room and at the actuators and unit control boards
flood c o n t r o l b e n e f i t s , t h e H u n g r y H o r s e P o w e r P l a n t w i t h in t h e governor gallery. Starting procedures require that
a n i n s t a l l e d c a p a c i t y of 2 8 5 , 0 0 0 k w will b e o p e r a t e d a t h i g h the governor gallery operator bring the unit u p to approxi­
c a p a c i t y d u r i n g t h e fall a n d w i n t e r m o n t h s w h e n t h e p o w e r m a t e l y s y n c h r o n o u s s p e e d after first s t a r t i n g t h e u n i t auxili­
is m o s t n e e d e d a n d w h e n t h e w a t e r r e l e a s e s c a n b e u s e d t o aries. T h e o p e r a t o r in t h e m a i n c o n t r o l r o o m t h e n takes
best a d v a n t a g e for g e n e r a t i o n d o w n s t r e a m . I n the spring over a n d brings t h e generator u p to voltage a n d puts the
a n d s u m m e r w h e n flows in t h e C o l u m b i a R i v e r a n d its v o l t a g e r e g u l a t o r i n s e r v i c e , after w h i c h h e s y n c h r o n i z e s
tributaries are at a m a x i m u m a n d power generation at t h e t h e unit w i t h t h e system a n d adjusts t h e load a n d voltage
d o w n s t r e a m p l a n t s is a t a p e a k , w a t e r will b e s t o r e d a t level as r e q u i r e d . B o t h t h e c o n t r o l r o o m o p e r a t o r a n d t h e
H u n g r y H o r s e a n d g e n e r a t i o n t h e r e will b e a t a m i n i m u m . g o v e r n o r g a l l e r y o p e r a t o r c a n i n i t i a t e c l o s u r e of t h e w i c k e t
I t is e s t i m a t e d t h a t in a d d i t i o n t o t h e 2 0 8 , 0 0 0 k w of p r i m e gates to shut d o w n a unit. T h e penstock gates m a y be
p o w e r m a d e a v a i l a b l e a t H u n g r y H o r s e t h e p l a n of o p e r a ­ c l o s e d i n a n e m e r g e n c y b y o p e r a t i o n of s w i t c h e s o n t h e
t i o n will i n c r e a s e b y 3 5 5 , 0 0 0 k w t h e p r i m e p o w e r c a p a c i t i e s main control board and on the unit control board.
of existing d o w n s t r e a m p l a n t s . E s t i m a t e s i n d i c a t e t h a t E a c h generator, together with the isolated-phase bus
r i v e r r e g u l a t i o n a t t h i s p l a n t will i n c r e a s e u l t i m a t e l y b y c o n n e c t i o n s t o t h e a i r c i r c u i t b r e a k e r , is p r o t e c t e d b y
a l m o s t 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 k w t h e p r i m e p o w e r c a p a c i t i e s of o t h e r diflferential r e l a y s . O p e r a t i o n of t h e s e r e l a y s i n i t i a t e s
plants u n d e r construction or p l a n n e d to be built in t h e o p e n i n g of t h e g e n e r a t o r a i r c i r c u i t b r e a k e r , o p e n i n g of
f u t u r e as p a r t of t h e v a s t C o l u m b i a R i v e r s y s t e m . t h e e x c i t e r field c i r c u i t b r e a k e r , d i s c h a r g e of c a r b o n d i o x i d e
T h e p o w e r h o u s e l o c a t e d a t t h e t o e of t h e d a m h a s a i n t o t h e g e n e r a t o r h o u s i n g , s h u t - d o w n of t h e u n i t b y
steel s u p e r s t r u c t u r e w i t h r e i n f o r c e d c o n c r e t e w a l l s e x c e p t e n e r g i z i n g t h e s h u t - d o w n s o l e n o i d t o close t h e w i c k e t
for t h e c o n t r o l b a y w h i c h is r e i n f o r c e d c o n c r e t e c o n s t r u c ­ g a t e s , a n d o p e r a t i o n of t h e u n i t a n n u n c i a t o r t o s o u n d a n
t i o n t h r o u g h o u t . T h i s t y p e of c o n s t r u c t i o n p e r m i t t e d alarm. T h e m a i n power transformers are protected by
e r e c t i o n of t h e s u p e r s t r u c t u r e steel d u r i n g t h e w i n t e r m o n t h s diflferential r e l a y s , t h e o p e r a t i o n of w h i c h i n i t i a t e s o p e n i n g
w h e n it w a s t o o c o l d for p l a c e m e n t of c o n c r e t e a n d a l l o w e d of t h e a p p r o p r i a t e h i g h - a n d l o w - v o l t a g e c i r c u i t b r e a k e r s
m u c h e a r l i e r i n s t a l l a t i o n of t h e o v e r h e a d p o w e r h o u s e c r a n e s . a n d causes the associated a n n u n c i a t o r system to sound a n
T h i s in t u r n p e r m i t t e d e a r l i e r i n s t a l l a t i o n of t h e t u r b i n e s alarm. I n a d d i t i o n , t h e h i g h - v o l t a g e w i n d i n g s of t h e s e
and other equipment. t r a n s f o r m e r s a r e p r o t e c t e d f u r t h e r by t h e g r o u n d r e l a y s
E a c h of t h e four v e r t i c a l - s h a f t F r a n c i s - t y p e t u r b i n e s h a s for t h e t r a n s m i s s i o n lines. S e v e n a n n u n c i a t o r systems
a s p e e d of 180 r p m a n d a c a p a c i t y of 1 0 5 , 0 0 0 h p a t full g a t e e n e r g i z e d b y t h e 1 2 5 - v o l t d-c s u p p l y a r e p r o v i d e d for
o p e n i n g u n d e r a n e t eff'ective h e a d o f 4 0 0 feet. T h e full g a t e i n d i c a t i o n a n d a l a r m in c a s e of o v e r l o a d s , f a i l u r e of e q u i p ­
d i s c h a r g e a t t h i s h e a d is a p p r o x i m a t e l y 2 , 8 0 0 c u b i c feet p e r m e n t , or other troubles.
second.
T h e g e n e r a t o r s a r e e a c h r a t e d 7 5 , 0 0 0 k v a , 0.95 p o w e r Digest of paper 54-151, "The Hungry Horse Project Power Development," recommended
by the AIEE Committee on Power G^eneration and approved by the AIEE Committee
factor, 13,800 volts, 3 p h a s e , 60 cycles. S y s t e m s t a b i l i t y c o n ­ on Technical Operations for presentation at the AIEE Winter General Meeting, New
York, N. Y., January 18-22, 1954. Scheduled for publication in AIEE Power Apparatus
s i d e r a t i o n s r e q u i r e d s p e c i a l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s t o b e specified and Systems, 1954.
lor t h e g e n e r a t o r s . L i b e r a l d e s i g n of t h e g e n e r a t o r s g a v e F. M. Wilson is with the U . S. Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, Colo.

APRIL 1954 Wilson—Power Development 305

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