Penstock

A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls

water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydro
turbines and sewerage systems. The term is inherited from the
earlier technology of mill ponds and watermills.

Contents
Hydroelectric systems and dams View of a penstock at Malakkappara
Watermills
Similar structures
Hydraulics
Landfills
References
External links

Hydroelectric systems and dams

Penstocks at the Ohakuri Dam, New
Zealand.
Penstocks for hydroelectric installations are normally
equipped with a gate system and a surge tank. They can be a
combination of many components such as anchor block, drain
valve, air bleed valve, and support piers depending on the
application.[1] Flow is regulated by turbine operation and is nil
when turbines are not in service. Penstocks, particularly where
used in polluted water systems, need to be maintained by hot
water washing, manual cleaning, antifouling coatings, and
desiccation.

The term is also used in irrigation dams to refer to the

channels leading to and from high-pressure sluice gates. Hydroelectric turbine penstock
cross-section.
Penstocks are also used in mine tailings dam construction.
The penstock is usually situated fairly close to the center of the
tailings dam and built up using penstock rings. These control
the water level, letting the slimes settle out of the water. This
water is then piped under the tailings dam back to the plant
via a penstock pipeline.

Watermills
Penstocks are often used at mill sites to control the flow of
water through the mill wheel, or to pen water into a mill The five penstocks of Shasta Dam,
pool.[2] seen from above
Similar structures
Similar structures which are not enclosed are head races or leats (non elevated), and flumes
(elevated).

Hydraulics
Penstocks are commonly used in water management systems such as surface water drainage and
foul water sewers. Penstocks provide a means of isolation of flows and regulate the flow of water
while delivering it to waste management facilities or power plants.[3]

Landfills
Penstocks are incorporated into the surface water management systems (drainage) of many
landfill sites. Attenuation lagoons are constructed in order to store storm water, limiting the
discharge from the site to pre-development rate (green field rate). Penstocks are installed at the
outfall from the lagoon so that in the rare event that the surface water becomes contaminated the
penstock may be closed. This will have the effect of isolating the site from the watercourse,
preventing contamination of the environment.

References
1. "Global penstock market growth expected to be driven by growing demand of penstock for
water management systems especially for drainage water systems" (https://www.marketwatch.
com/story/global-penstock-market-growth-expected-to-be-driven-by-growing-demand-of-penst
ock-for-water-management-systems-especially-for-drainage-water-systems-2018-03-05).
MarketWatch. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
2. "Weirs, Sluices and Penstocks - Kingcombe Aquacare" (http://kingcombe.com/water-maintena
nce-services/reservoirs-and-lakes/weirs-sluices-and-penstocks/). Kingcombe Aquacare.
Retrieved 2018-03-09.
3. "Bulkheads - Mechanical Research & Design, Inc" (https://www.mechanicalresearch.com/prod
ucts/bulkheads/). Mechanical Research & Design, Inc. Retrieved 2018-03-09.

External links
Penstock cross-sections for the Grand Coulee Dam (http://users.owt.com/chubbard/gcdam/ht
ml/hydro.html)
U.S. Department of Energy Hydropower Basics (http://www1.eere.energy.gov/water/hydropow
er_resources.html)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Penstock&oldid=960285766"

This page was last edited on 2 June 2020, at 03:32 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License;

additional terms may apply. By using
this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.