PDF - 9Mo - Grande Dixence SA

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GD. P.32A real challenge:spot height 2400Water collecting worksThe Grande Dixence dam is a gigantic stopper andLake Dix, an artificial lake, is an energy storage unit.These feats of human ingenuity were placed strategicallyat the heart of a 357 km 2 catchment area, half ofwhich is covered by 35 glaciers. But a way still had tobe found of catching and collecting all the liquid goldslipping between the rocks.An immense system of collecting works and undergroundcanals was designed and driven through themountain. Again, the numbers make the head spin. Inorder to collect the water that flows between theMischabel and Mont-Blanc de Cheilon mountains, approximately100 kilometres of tunnel had to be dug,including a 24-kilometre main water conduit at 2400metres altitude. No fewer than 75 water intakes studthe 35 glaciers and supply Grande Dixence with itsprecious raw material.Logically, one would think the water would be broughtto dam level simply by gravity, flowing gently along themountainside to the retaining point. But that means acatching point above the Grande Dixence dam. In fact,this is not always the case. Scarcely 40% of the waterfilling Lake Dix reaches it by following the natural gradient.So how could water be collected at 2400 metres,the altitude at which the main water conduit feedsinto the reservoir? How could this challenge be metsuccessfully when the largest glaciers in the area havea melting zone below that essential spot height?The high altitude of the dam forced the design engineersto demonstrate their ingenuity. In order to driveback the waters of the Gorner at the foot of Mont-Rose,from Stafel at the foot of the Matterhorn, from Ferpècleat the foot of Dent-Blanche, and from Arolla at the footof Mont Collon, there was only one option: pumping.4 stations with a total capacity of 186 MW (equivalentto the power of about 35 locomotives) were built fromscratch.Altogether, these pumping stations deliver a total volumeof 300 million m 3 of water to the main water conduit,at the same time consuming 380 million kWh ofenergy, mainly at times of low energy demand.Thanks to this clever arrangement, the energy potentialof this Swiss Alpine region has been fully realized.By gathering as much water as possible in Lake Dix,either by natural flow or by pumping from neighbouringvalleys, the water of an entire region can be exploitedin the form of peak energy, its prime asset being itsflexibility.
GD. P.33VIEGERIVERSTAFELSTATIONALT: 2180 MZ'MUTTSTATIONALT: 1900 MAROLLASTATIONALT: 2009 MFIONNAYPOWER PLANT(290 MW) ALT: 1486 MFERPÈCLESTATIONALT: 1835 MGRANDE DIXENCE(400'000'000 M 3 )ALT: 2364 MPRINTZERIVERBORGNERIVERCLEUSON(19'500'000 M 3 )ALT: 2186 MCHANDOLINEPOWER PLANT(150 MW) ALT: 493.5 MRHONE RIVERBIEUDRONPOWER PLANT(1200 MW) ALT: 481 MNENDAZPOWER PLANT(390 MW) ALT: 479 MGRANDE DIXENCE(400’000’000 M 3 )ALT: 2364 MPRINTZERIVERDams2500m2000m1500mAL Z’MUTTSTATIONALT: 1900 MSTAFELSTATIONALT: 2180 MFERPéCLESTATIONALT: 1835 MAROLLASTATIONALT: 2009 MCLEUSON(19’500’000 M 3 )ALT: 2186 MFIONNAYPOWER PLANT(290 MW) ALT: 1486 MPumping stationsand power plantsPressure shaftsHeadrace tunnelsMain water conduit1000mCHANDOLINEPOWER PLANT(150 MW) ALT: 493.5 MRiver500m0mRHONERIVERNENDAZPOWER PLANT(390 MW) ALT: 479 MBIEUDRONPOWER PLANT(1200 MW) ALT: 481 M
Page 1 and 2: Grande Dixence -a legend in the hea
Page 3 and 4: GD. P.3SummaryEpic construction of
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Page 11 and 12: GD. P.111951: Construction works st
Page 13 and 14: GD. P.13Le Chargeur, fabrication of
Page 15 and 16: GD. P.153000 men totame the powerof
Page 17 and 18: GD. P.17The pace of work was intens
Page 19 and 20: GD. P.19Ropeway shuttle
Page 21 and 22: GD. P.21Typesof damGravity damGrand
Page 23 and 24: GD. P.23Nendaz power plant, excavat
Page 25 and 26: GD. P.25Working conditions on the d
Page 29 and 30: GD. P.29The highest wallin the worl
Page 31: GD. P.31
Page 35 and 36: GD. P.35Z’Muttpumping stationBeau
Page 37 and 38: GD. P.37Stafelpumping stationAt the
Page 39 and 40: GD. P.39Ferpècle afterbay reservoi
Page 41 and 42: GD. P.41Arollapumping stationA high
Page 43 and 44: GD. P.43Lake Dix
Page 51 and 52: GD. P.51Fionnay power plant
Page 53 and 54: GD. P.53111611101797151312618151454
Page 55 and 56: GD. P.551234567Nendaz steel-lined p
Page 57 and 58: GD. P.57Bieudron power plant
Page 59 and 60: GD. P.59Extreme pressures!The penst
Page 65 and 66: GD. P.65CEGElectricity prices vary
Page 71 and 72: GD. P.711 kWh1 MWh1 GWh1 TWhUNITS O

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