Battersea Power Station
The First Battersea Generating Station (1901)
1897 A site at the junction of Lombard and Holman Roads was purchased for the Battersea Municipal Electricity Works by Battersea Borough Council. This was about 1/2 mile WSW of the later Battersea Power Station, near Battersea Railway Bridge.
1900 The foundation stone was laid.
1901 'For distribution the continuous-current three-wire system has been adopted, with a constant pressure of 460 volts across the outer conductors of the mains, the lamps being served by current at 230 volts. The plant at present installed is intended to supply 45,000 eight candle-power lamps, with the add1t1on of the street arc lamps connected to the mains. This represents about 17,000 eight candle-power lamps and 240 arc lights. The boiler-house contains at present four Babcock water-tube boilers. They are made higher than usual so as to give the maximum amount of steam for minimum floor space. Each boiler is designed to evaporate at the normal rate of working 11,000 lb. of water per hour into steam at 200 lb. pressure per square inch, but when necessary it can be fired at a higher rate, so as to give an evaporation of from 12,000 lb. to 14,000 lb. per hour. ..... The plant at present in the engine-house consists of two balancing sets, each with two dynamos, and three main sets. Each of the balancer engines develops 150 indicated horse-power, and each of the two dynamos driven by the one engine has an output of 46 kilowatts. The dynamos can be adjusted to give this output at any voltage between 230 and 280 when running at the normal speed of 460 revolutions per minute. These machines work between the middle wire and either of the two outer conductors of the three-wire system. The two balancing sets are placed nearest to the switchboard gallery. Next to them are two 360 indicated horse-power sets and one set of 575 indicated horse-power. These are the main steam dynamos, which are connected between the outer conductors of the system. The dynamos of the 360 horse-power sets are designed for an output of 192 kilowatts at any pressure from 460 to 56O volts when running at the normal speed of 355 revolutions per minute. The dynamo of the 575 horse-power set is designed for an output of 400 kilowatts, which it will give between the same limits of pressure regulation as mentioned above for the 360 horse-power set. Its normal running speed is 325 revolutions per minute.
'The engines and dynamos have been supplied by Mather and Platt, Limited, Manchester. The engines are Willans and Robinson's central valve pattern, and are of the usual vertical triple-expansion tandem three-crank type. Each engine in the station is provided with its own condenser, but connections are also made to a main exhaust pipe 24in. internal diameter, which is led round the side of the engine-house and is connected to a vertical pipe running up the chimney. The dynamos are of Mather and Platt's multipolar type; those on the balancer sets having four poles, and those of the two larger sizes four poles and six poles respectively. On the switchboard the arrangement of the switches makes it possible to run all the dynamos in parallel at the same pressure on all the feeders, or when it is necessary part of the plant can be run at one pressure on the short feeders and the remainder at a higher pressure on the longer feeders. By means of pilot wires and feeder voltmeters the pressure at each one of the feeding points can be read at the station and kept at the proper figure.
'The switchboard is also fitted with auxiliary apparatus for controlling two batteries of accumulators. For assisting in the charging and discharging of these batteries two special sets, each comprising a motor coupled to a 20-kilowatt shunt-wound dynamo, have been provided. Those boosters raise the normal switchboard pressure by the necessary amount to force current into the battery, or by being reversed it supplements the discharge when the pressure on the battery terminals has dropped below the switchboard pressure. In addition, there is a small motor coupled to a dynamo which is placed in a partitioned-off space at the end of the battery room, and which is used to charge any individual coil whoso condition may require such treatment. The three booster sets have been made by the Brush Electrical Engineering Company, of Loughborough. The switchboard and boosters have been supplied by the Edison and Swan United Electric Light Company, Limited. The two batteries of accumulators have been supplied by the Hart Accumulator Company, Limited, Stratford, E. Each battery consists of 140 cells, and has a total capacity of 1000 ampere hours. The batteries will enable the steam generating plant to be shut down during times of very light load, and in that case the whole of the energy required will be supplied from the batteries. The whole of the pipework in the station has been supplied by the Sir Hiram Maxim Electrical and Engineering Company, Limited, of 65, Gracechurch-street, E.C. ....'[1]
The New Battersea Power Station, built in two stages
Phase I (Battersea 'A')
1928 Construction of a new power station began. The main buildings were designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. Sir William Arrol and Co constructed the steel framework.
The concept of building such a large source of pollution in the heart of London was highly controversial. the London Power Company pioneered a gas-washing system to remove much of the sulphur from the flue gases.
1933 September: First phase commissioned (Battersea 'A').
1936 Metropolitan-Vickers supplied a 105,000 kW turbo-generator set. See below.
Phase 2 (Battersea 'B')
1937 September: Approval given for second phase (Battersea 'B'), with 100 MW turbine-alternator and 5 MW house set. Two more chimneys to be added eventually.
1938 Richardsons, Westgarth and Co shipped a large condenser for the second phase of construction. It was installed during the Blitz.
1941 Battersea "B" — commissioning of the 84 MW low-pressure unit of the 100 MW cross-compound set.
1944 Commissioning of the first section of the Battersea "B", consisting of a 100 MW cross-compound set—comprising a 16 MW high pressure unit (1,350 psi) exhausting to a twin-cylinder 84 MW secondary unit. The second and third sections comprised a 60 MW machine with hydrogen-cooled alternator (1951) and a further cross-compound machine of 100 MW (1953) of similar design to that of the first section.[2]
1950 Pimlico District Heating Scheme officially opened in July. Steam was taken from the main boiler-house range at Battersea "A", passed through 2 x 1.35 MW back-pressure turbines to a heat exchanger from which heated water was pumped through a tunnel under the Thames to a large thermal storage tank providing space heating for adjacent blocks of new flats.[3] Hot water was stored in a tall cylindrical tank, surrounded by a glazed aluminium frame to give it a modern and less 'tanky' appearance.
1950 160-ton alternator stator delivered from Metropolitan-Vickers by road. The level of Stewarts Road, Battersea, had to be reduced by 1 inch under the railway bridge to provide clearance.
1952 The second condenser for phase 2 was shipped from Hartlepool[4]
1953 Construction of final phase in progress, with fourth chimney.
1955 Fourth chimney completed.
1983 Ceased generating.
Plant
Note: There is some inconsistency in quoted ratings. Some figures probably refer to the output from the main alternator, while others may include the station unit alternators. Alternative figures in brackets.
The turbine-alternators were:-
TA1 67.2 MW (69 MW)
TA2 67.2 MW (69 MW)
TA3 105 MW (100 MW)
One of the 67.2 MW sets and the 105 MW set were made by Metropolitan-Vickers, and the other 67.2 MW set was by British Thomson-Houston.
Steam conditions 570-600 psi, 850-875 degF, from nine boilers.
The 105 MW unit was described in some detail in Engineering and in The Engineer. '.... consists of a 105,000-kW turbine, driving a 110,000-kVA main alternator, a 6,250-kVA auxiliary alternator, and three exciters. All the machines are arranged in line, and the overall length of the complete unit, .... is about 120 ft. The condenser and principal auxiliaries were also included in the contract. ...... As the space available for the new unit was originally intended to accommodate a third 67,200- kW set with a length of 102 ft., the lay-out of the auxiliary apparatus had to be carefully considered. It was decided to bring the exciter end of the new unit as close as possible to the gauge kiosk of No. 2 set and to arrange for one of the main steam pipes of this set to pass through the foundations of the new unit. Careful arrangement of the main steam pipes to the new set was necessary in order to obviate any encroachment on the loading bay, while they were also located so as to give the necessary head room on the intermediate floor. It was thus possible to place the condensers symmetrically about the centre line half-way between two of the main building stanchions, and to give the connections from the main alternator a straight run into the switchgear annexe. The longitudinal centre line of the set was kept in line with that of the two existing sets, as was all the handrailing. Symmetry has thus been preserved. The pipework has also, as far as possible, been kept out of sight under the floor. To give adequate access to the subsidiary apparatus and pipe work, the turbine cylinders and condensers are supported on a steel framework. This framework is, in turn, built on a concrete plinth which rises about 10 ft. above the basement level. This steel work, ..... was constructed so that its natural periods of vibration will be considerably higher than those likely to be set up by the running machine. This involved the use of very heavy section steel, which was mainly manufactured at the Metropolitan-Vickers’ works. ..... The turbine is of the three-cylinder type and is designed to operate with an initial steam pressure of from 570 lb. to 600 lb. per square inch and a steam temperature of from 800 deg. to 850 deg. F. Its speed is 1,500 r.p.m. .... '[5]. The alternator rotor weighed 82 tons [6]
Information form The Engineer in 1936: TA3, the first of the 105 MW sets, was the largest built in Europe at the time. It went in the space originally intended for another 67.2 MW set. Steam conditions: 570-600 psi, 800-850 degF. HP, IP, & LP cylinder coupled in line with a 111 kVA alternator, two main exciters and a pilot exciter. The diameter of the LP rotor was minimised by using Baumann multi-exhaust blading.[7]. Steam admission: the first pair of governor valves admits steam from the steam chest to the first stage and operates for loads up to 63 MW; the second pair admits steam between stages 1 & 2 for loads up to 84 MW (the most economical load); the third pair admits steam after the 9th stage, i.e. after the 8th single impulse stage, for loads up to 105 MW. Hydraulic relays control the position of the governor valves. The amount of opening is determined by the relay pilot valve, whose position is determined by a cam on a horizontal rod. The rod is positioned by the common hydraulic relay controlled by the governor, and carries two other cams for the other two governor valves on that side of the turbine. An identical system is provided on the opposite side (there are governor valves in steam chests on either side of the turbine). The 100 MW main alternator rotor is 58in. in diameter, and weighs 82 tons. The forgings are assembled and kept in position by shrunk rings of high tensile alloy steel. Before leaving the works the completed rotor was balanced and tested at 25% overspeed. The 6250-kVA, 3000-volt house service alternator on the end of the main alternator shaft is for supplying power to the auxiliaries independently of the main station supply. The alternators are supported on a concrete block. It was not possible to use a concrete block for the turbine and condenser, because the space had originally been intended for a 67.2 MW set. Therefore a steel frame foundation was specified. This was of heavy contruction to avoid resonant vibration.[8]
For the second phase (Battersea 'B') the specified steam conditions were 1350-1420 psi, 950-975 psi, from two boilers, Nos. 10 & 11, supplying TA4. TA4 was not a single unit, but comprised a primary set producing 16 MW at 3000 rpm with steam at 1350 psi, and a secondary unit with two alternators on the same shaft line, one of 78 MW output and the other of 6 MW for 'house service'. The secondary set was designed to use the exhaust steam from the primary set, but alternatively it could take 'A' station steam at 600 psi, 875 degF.
Work on the first extension to 'B' station was being put in hand in 1945, with a 60 MW 3000 rpm set (TA5) and three boilers (Nos 12, 13, 14). One of the boilers was designed to take a proportion of lower quality pulverised coal, all the other boilers being stoker-fed. TA5 was a single line machine having an HP, IP and LP cylinder. The alternator was to be hydrogen cooled. There was no connection for 'A' station steam supply. There was also a separate turbine-alternator for house service, taking steam at 600 psi. Space would remain for another 100 MW set and three boilers.
The above information is taken from 'The Engineer', 2 June 1933 and 21 December 1945.
The following information is mainly from the Wikipedia entry.
'B' Station: Three turbine alternators, all made by Metropolitan-Vickers. This consisted of two sets which used 16 MW high-pressure units exhausting to a 78 MW unit and associated with a 6 MW house alternator, giving these units a total rating of 100 MW. The third unit consisted of a 66 MW machine associated with a 6 MW house alternator, giving the unit a rating of 72 MW. Combined, these gave the 'B' station a generating capacity of 260 MW, making a total of 503 MW.
All boilers were made by Babcock and Wilcox. The 'B' station also had the highest thermal efficiency of any power station in the country for the first twelve years of its operation.
The London Power Company had developed an experimental technique for washing flue gases in 1925. It used water and alkaline sprays over scrubbers of steel and timber in flue ducts. The gases were subject to continuous washing, and in the presence of the catalyst iron oxide, sulphur dioxide was converted into sulphuric acid. Battersea Power Station was one of the world's first commercial applications of this technique. This process was applied at Battersea, but was stopped in the 'B' Station in the 1960s, when it was discovered that the discharge of these products into the Thames was more harmful than the gases would be to the atmosphere.
On 17 March 1975, the 'A' Station was closed after being in operation for 40 years. By this time the A Station was co-firing oil and its generating capacity had declined to 228 MW.
Subsequent Developments
Following decommissioning, the main buildings were saved from demolition, but gradually decayed over a period of three decades while their future was debated. Fortunately the more bizarre proposals were rejected, and the final result was a shopping and dining centre and housing development which preserves the magnificent turbine halls and the (rebuilt) chimneys. The turbine hall cranes, some of the switchboards, and the odd item of switchgear have been preserved, but the other machinery is long gone.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Engineer 1901/10/04
- ↑ [1] 'Electricity Supply in the UK: A chronology' Electricity Council, c. 1987
- ↑ [2] 'Electricity Supply in the UK: A chronology' Electricity Council, c. 1987, p.65
- ↑ Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail - Thursday 28 August 1952
- ↑ Engineering 1936/01/17
- ↑ Engineering 1936/03/13
- ↑ The Engineer 1936/01/24
- ↑ The Engineer 1936/01/31