Queenston-Chippewa development of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario

This paper covers a general description of the entire Queenston-Chippewa development of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario, on the Canadian side of the Niagara River, which will have an ultimate capacity approximating 650,000 h. p. The general scheme of the development comprises an intake structure in the Niagara River at Chippewa; the utilization, by deepening and widening, of the Welland River as a part of the waterway for 4½ miles; the construction of a canal 8½ miles long from the Wetland River to the forebay and screen house on the top of the Niagara escarpment about a mile south of Queenston village; and the construction and equipment of the power house in the gorge immediately below the forebay. The entire design was carried out with the express object of producing power most efficiently from the available water at the lowest possible cost. Important features of the waterway are described, covering the special design of intake works to avoid ice troubles; the control gate in the canal; the concrete lined canal channel, and the consideration given the design of canal, forebay, screen house, penstocks and draft tubes to obtain the best hydraulic results. Of special interest to hydroelectric engineers is the use of the largest capacity turbines and vertical shaft generators that have ever been constructed; the size of the step-up transformers; the design and arrangement of relay systems and of switching equipment to take care of the extremely heavy short-circuit conditions; and features of the design of the power house whereby in every 50-foot length of building all equipment for one 45,000-kv-a. unit, covering penstock, turbine, generator, switching equipment, transformers and outgoing line, is accommodated; the provision of the main floor in the generator room at the top of the generator frame; also the use of a control pedestal on main floor at each unit whereby the turbine and generator may be conveniently operated. Power for the plant service equipment is obtained from two separate small units, entirely independent of the main units, and 25-cycle current is used exclusively for service equipment motors, including the 300-ton crane equipment and the elevators.