US840110A - Dam. - Google Patents

Description

No. 840,110. PATENTED AN l, 190v.

L. OOBURN.

DAM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1906.

' mmwwmx HOWARD GOBURN, OF BOESTON. MASSACHUSEFFS.

Bpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1907.

Application filed May 2,1906. Serial No. 314,846.

To altl whom it may candor-us Be it'known that I, IIOWARD L. Concert,

of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State.

of Massachusetts, have invented certain-new and useful Improvements in Dams. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a damiormed to inclose or rotect a space between the up stream and downstream sides of the' dam,

said space being utilized as a power-station by installing therein ower-utih'zing means, such as a turbine an its accessories, a conduit being em loyed to supply water'to the turbine from t re upstream side of the dam.

The invention is an improvement on a dam of this character in which the said conduit discharges the tail-water from the turbine in the lower ortion ot' the space protected by the dam, t re tail-w ater which accumulates in the said space flowing therefrom through an outlet under the overfall passing over the dam. The flow of tail-water from the protected s ace is accelerated by the action of the over all, which induces an outward movement of'the accumulation of tail-water.

My invention has for its object to enable the flow inducing or exhausting function of the overfall to be exerted directly upon the water at the discharge end of the conduit instead of being exerted on an accumulation of tail-water discharged within the space protected by the dam.

My invention is therefore embodied in a power-s ace-inclosing dam having a continu ous con uit extending downwardly from the upstream side of the darn through the protected space to the downstream side, the outlet end of the, conduit being under the path of the overfall and exposed to the inducing or exhausting action of the latter, so that the flow of water throughout the entire length of the conduit, and especially through the delivering or draft-tube portion thereof, is continuously accelerated, a partial vacuum being constantly maintained at the outlet end .of the draft-tube. .This vacuum has the same effect that would be produced by an increase of the head of the acting water, the energy of the latter being increased and the increase being proportionedto the velocity of the flow of the overfall.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a transverse sectionof a dam embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

l The same numerals of reference indicate the same parts in both fi ures. I i

In the embodiment o my invention here shown for purposes ofillustration the dam. is of shell form and of reinforced concrete cor: struction, It comprises a deck 12, an apron .13, and a crest -14, uniting the deck and the upstream and downstream sides of the dam. in said space may he installed a turbinc, the casing of which is shown at 15, the shaft 16 of the turbine being connected with adynamo or other power-utilizing means.

18 represents a fecd-pi )c, the intake end of which is in the deck 12, the said pipe extending downwardly to the wheel-casing.

11) represents a drafutube, which extends continuously from the wheel-casing to an outlct-opening 2G in the downstream-wall of the dam. and draitdubc 19 thereforeconstitute a continuous conduit cxteiuling downwardly from the upstream side of the dam through the space protected by the dam to the downstream side and discharging outside the said space instead of discluu'ging, into the lower portion of the space, the drafttube having a liquid-tight connection with the lower portion of the apron 13, so that the discluugo from the draft-tube is wholly external to the space protected by the dam.

the overiall, the portion of the apron. over the outlet being so inclined that the overfall is projected forcibly downstream from the delivering end of the outlet. of the overlull creates a partial vacuum at the outlet 20, and therefore exhausts water and air directly from the draft-tube 19. The llow of water through the entire conduit, and especially through the draft-tube portion thereof, is thus materially: accelerated, the degree of,acceleration depending on the velocity of the ovcri'ull' at the mint where it leaves the apronof thedam. eexhausting action of the oveii'all is concentrated at the draft tubc by the liquid-tight connection of th latter with the downsireany side of the dam and, as already stated, has an cil'ect which is equivalent to an increase in the head of the w ter flowing through the conduit. It will be seen, therefore, that by extending the draft-tube to the downstream side of the tothe influence of the, overfall, 'I have ac comphshed a distinctly new resultnamel The feed-pipe .l b, wheel-casing 15 as heretofore,

apron, (the whole covering a space between "the outlet it! is located under the path of dam, so that its discharging end is subjected to increase the effective head or pressure of the Water. The draft-tube 19 is preferably horizontally widened or flared -outwardly gowerd its discharging end, as indicated in A i0. 2.

1 claim- A power--spece-inclosing dam' having a continuous conduit extending downwardl from the upstream side of the dam, throu said space, to the downstream side of t e dam, said conduit including a wheel-casing and a draft-tube, the outlet end of the draft tube portion of the conduit being under the path of the overfall, whereby the overfalljis caused to accelerate the flow of water through the draft-tube.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence oftwo Witnesses.

HOWARD L. COBURN. Witnesses:

C. F.-BROW'N, E. BATCHELDER

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