POWERHOUSE DESIGN FOR

SHP STATION

PREPARED BY LI ZHIWU (HRC)

zwli@hrcshp.org

CONTENTS
PART 1 CONSTITUTION CLASSIFICATION
OF POWERHOUSE
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Different Machines to be installed
1.3 Plant Area Layouts

PART 2 POWERHOUSE FOR HORIZONTAL

SHAFT UNITS
2.1 The Reaction-turbine Powerhouse
2.2 The Impulse-turbine Powerhouse
PART 3 POWERHOUSE FOR VERTICAL
SHAFT UNITS
3.1 Open-flume Turbine Powerhouse
3.2 The Closed Scroll-case Powerhouse

PART 1 CONSTITUTION &

CLASSIFICATION OF
POWERHOUSE

1.1 Different Machines to be Installed

Main structures in the
hydro plant area:
Machine hall
Auxiliary powerhouse
Main transformer
site High voltage
switchyard

l.The water conduits

and valves: Valve or
gate
Spiral case or turbine chamber Turbine Draft
tube Tailrace

1.inlet gate 2.turbine chamber 3.

Turbine 4.draft tube 5.tailwater
chamber 6.tailwater canal 7.tailwater
gate

Fig.1. A sketch showing the water

conduits and gates

2.The Primary Circuit

Generator
Busbar or cable
Panel

Switch gear
Transformer

l.generator rotor 2.generator stator

3.generator lead and busbar 4.low
voltage panel 5.step-up transformer
6.high
voltage circuit breaker

Fig.2. Schematic diagram showing

primary circuit
system

Protective equipment Measuring

instrument Potential transformer
Current transformer Communication

4. the Governing
Equipment
for Hydraulic
machines
Governor
Control
equipment

Oil,air and
water systems
Station

service
Erection
equipment

6.other facilities
Administrative
building Stores
and rooms
Erection bays

1.3 Plant Area Layout

l. the machine
hall
The
penstock
length as short
as possible
Tail-water
channel
far

away
from
spillway
or
opening
Foundation
Access
2. the
main
transformer site

 Different
locations
Short bus-bar

or cable
Elevation

3. High voltage
switchyard
Short bus-bur
or cable
Sufficient
interval
Elevation
Foundation

4. Erection bay
Location

Elevation
Access road
Purposes
Requirements

1. power canal
2. forebay
3.intake
4. penstock
5. substation
6. anchorage
7. powerhouse
8.1iving quarter
9.access road
Fig.3. General

layout of
Baizangji
plant

1. navigat
ion lock
2. spillwa
y
3. power
house
4. substat
ion
Fig.4.

Layout of
Tushegu
Plant

l.dam 2.penstock 3.irrigation canal

4.powerhouse
5. substation 6.tailrace
Fig.5. Plant area layout of Jiaokou power

station

P=12mw V=478m.m

VIEW OF Guishi hydro station on the

Hejiang

River in GUANGXI

Installed capacity: 2,400 kw View of

Huangdong hydro station in Guangxi

Installed capacity: 500 kw View of

Fanglin hydro station in Guangxi

H=18m L=456m V =48.2m.m3 N=13Mw

H=4.4m, N=4,000 kw

View of Chengguan hydropower

station in

Hunan Province

H=10.5M

P=3*650KW V=370 m.m

General view of Liangkou
hydropower
station in Guangdong Province
3

P=6000 kw
A scene of No.302 hydropower
station in

Jilin Province

H=14
6m
=4*2,5
00kw

Huangguoshu Cascade No.4 station in

guizhou
Province

View of
Dfeishui
hydropower
station in
Sichuan
Province
H=345m
P=2*2,500kw

P=9,20
0kw
H=66m

General view of Yanwutan

hydropower

station in Hunan Province

PART 2 POWERHOUSE

LAYOUT FOR
HORIZONTAL SHAFT UNITS
2.1 THE REACTION TURBINE
POWERHOUSE
1. The hydro-unit layout
1) Longitudinal arrangement
2) Transversal arrangement
3) Oblique arrangement

 Be wellproportioned (for
1-2 units)
Water passage
Simple
structure
Auxiliary
equipment
layout
Larger unit
spacing

1.butterfly
valve 2.governor 3.turbine 4.generator
5.plant transformer 6.control panel
&switch
board

Fig.6. Powerhouse layout of Yanbaodi

hydro plant

2) Transversal
arrangement plan
size
complicated
structure auxiliary
equipment layout
tail race length

1.anchor block 2.switch board 3.control

panel 4.governor
5. turbine 6.manhole 7.fly wheel
8.generator 9.tailrace

10.erection bay
Fig.7. A typical layout of horizontal
Francis turbines

3) Oblique arrangement

l.canal 2.forebay 3.main valve chamber

4.unit 5.substation
Fig.8. Layout of Qitaohe hydro plant

2. connection between penstock & spiral

case

Fig.10.
Horizontal
layout of a spiral case
entrance

1. spiral
case
entrance
2. pipe bend 3.penstock 4.draft tube
5.support

Fig.9. Vertically downward inlet of spiral

case

3. Layout for other equipment &

erection bay
1) Main valves
Inside powerhouse
Outside powerhouse
2) Governors and panels
3) Cranes
A simple beam or girder with
pulleys or tackles
A tripod derrick
An autocrane

4. Powerhouse dimensions
1) In plan
(1) Affecting factors
Number of units
Shaft dispositions
Dimensions of individual hydro units
Dimensions of the erection bay min.
clearance requirements

4
1

.i
&ZZZ

(2) Length
L = h+l + d + l +
L
u
u e
where
l = width for side
unit lu = unit bay
length d = clearance Fig.11. A sketch showing
dimensions of a
between units le =
horizontal
reaction
length of erection
powerhouse
bay
between panel and wall
(3) width
b = panel thickness
B = b + b + b +
b + b where
b = clearance

b = passage width
spiral case
b = external dia. Of b = width for arranging
governor & valve
3

2) In elevation
(1)= Turbine setting zl
Zi Zmwl + Hs - 0.5Dj
(2) Top
floor Z
Z
Zj
d j
(3) Ceiling Z
Z = Z +He + Cj + Hm
+ hc + C
Where
Z = elevation of ceiling
He = height of the
biggest fixed piece
on the top floor
Cj = clearance between
the
equipment being
2

moved and other

fixed machines
Hm = height of the
biggest pieces to be
craned
hc = height of crane
C = clearance between
the crane top and
the ceiling
2

(4) tailwater
Z
Z
Z
4 =h 2
- h
tch tc
=
d
+
d

floor

Where
Z = tailwater floor
elevation
htc = height of the
tailwater chamber
hd
=
draft-tube
height
d = distance
4

between the tube

out let and the
bottom
floor
Z
-(Z
d )
m
mwl 4+
>
2

03

l.switch board 2.spiral

case 3.draft tube
4.generator 5.governor
6.cable duct

Fig.13. Powerhouse layout

of Qidaohe plant

 Higher speed,
smaller size
Higher setting
Simple structure

1.control cabinet for ball valve 2. Ball valve

3. Contraction joint 4. Control panel
5.governor .fly wheel 7. Generator .
Permanent- magnet machine 9. Exciter
10.turbine
Fig.15. A typical layout for pelton turbine
6

powerhouse
Common types:
Bulb-type
hydro
generating set Tubetype hydro generating
set

Fig.16.
Longitudinal
section of bulb

turbine powerhouse

l.runner 2.guide vanes 3.generator

4.bulb casing 5.draft tube 6. Approach
shaft for generator 7. Approach shaft
for turbine
Fig.17. A bulb turbine unit

PART 3 POWERHOUSE LAYOUT

FOR VERTICAL
SHAFT UNITS
3.1
open-flume
turbine
powerhouse

3.1.1 the
layout
(1)

Fig.21. Cross-section through the

powerhouse

superstructure
(2) substructure
Block stone

masonry
Equipment
layout
generator 2. Governor 3. Panel 4. Service
gate 5. Trash rack . Gate slot 7. Tail gate .
Turbine 9. Stone masonry

1.

l.generator 2. Governor 3. Turbine 4.

Draft tube 5.
Tailwater chamber

a.
b. Turbine
Generator
plan
l.turbine
2.generator
3.
Governor
4.
plan
Cable duct 5. Panel 6.

Servomotor
Fig.20. Typical layout of an openflume turbine plant

l.the block
substructure b =
(3~4)D L =
(3~4) D h =
(1.4~1.9) D c >
0.7 m d >0.7 m
f = (1.5~2.0) D g
> 0.3~0.5 m Where
b = width of the turbine chamber L = length of
the turbine chamber h = min.depth of water f =
clearance D = dia. of the runner
1

2. the height
(1) turbine
setting
Z1
Z1 = Z + Hs+0.5b (1.0~1.5)m Where
Zmwl=min.downstream
water level Hs =
suction head b =
guide vane height
(2) turbine chamber
floor
Z
2 (0 5b
Z
Z

h )
2 = 1
* o + sr
Where
h = height of turbine
stay ring
(3) Tail water floor
Z3
mwl

sr

(0 5b

d )

= 1
* o + dt + 2
Where
h = draft-tube height
d2 = distance from the draft tube outlet to the base
plate
3

dt

(4) Ztop floor

Zr
t
4 = umax +
+
Where
Z = upstream max.
water level
t = floor thickness
r = safe
clearance,usually
50~100cm
(5) ceiling Z5
Z5 = Z4 + He + Cj
+ Hm + h +C2
Where
C
=
vertical
clearance
He
=
fixed
equipment height
Hm = height of the
biggest pieces to
4

umax

be craned
h = height of hoisting tools
C = clearance between beam top and ceiling
2

3. The width and

the length

Fig.24. Sketch of
dimensions in plane

3.2.1 the layout

1. Top floor

equipment
layout

equipment
access, passage

elevation
requirement
2. Intermediate floor
Generator
pier, turbine
chamber main
valve, pipe
3. Block structure
Spiral case,
draft tube, sump

well
4. Spiral case
Concrete spiral case
Steel spiral case

l.the height
turbine
setting Zj
Z
= dmin += Hs +
0.5bo Zdmin
downstream lowest
water level(m)
Hs = suction
head (m) b =
guide vane
height(m)
Tailrace
floor
surface
Z
=
Z2 Zj-0.5bo-hy-Cv
1)

2)

hv=draft-tube height(m)
Cv=clearance between
draft-tube
port and tailrace
floor(m)
Cv=(2~3)D (m)
D^runner diameter(m)
1

*40f
*3*0,
Si

fa

fbo\

3)

masonry \ back ft

3(M>\~2S*0 A

foundation surface Z Z
3

Z -h
h4=concrete thickness(0.5m)
2

turbine floor Z
Z =Z +R+h (m)
R=radius of spiral casing
entrance(m)
h^concrete
layer
thickness(m)

4)

butterfly valve floor Z

Z =Z,-0.5db-Cb (m)
db=butterfly dia.(m)
Cross section
CFig.25.
b= clearance between
valve bottom and floor
through the

5)

Jiaokou powerhouse

surface(m)

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u

*(* HtY

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moionrij

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ma*onry

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back ft

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-y

top floor Z
a) Top
floor
elevation Zgl
Zgl=Z +h0+t
h0=height for
equipment
arrangement
t=thickness of top floor
slab
b) Top floor
elevation Z
Generator
setting Zgs
=
Zgs Z4+h2+h3
h2=height of manhole
to turbine
chamber,h = . m
6)

g2

1 8

hZ 3=concrete
height
=
g Zgs+h4+t
H4=height of the stator
frame
track top Z
ceiling Z
2

7)
8)

Data For designing a powerhouse

1. the general layout of the hydro
project.
2. topographic maps of the plant
area on the scale of 1:100
or 1:200.
3. geologic
drawings
such
as
geologic section, geologic
column.
4. highest and lowest water levels
at the downstream and

upstream powerhouse site.

5. data
of
electric-mechanical
equipment to be installed
such as type, configuration size,
weight and erection drawing etc.
6. available construction material
and transportation
conditions