Loughborough Power Station
1924 EXTENSIONS TO LOUGHBOROUGH POWER STATION. Among the smaller power stations of the country which at the present time constitute the great majority that at Loughborough has attained a very creditable position. Since it was first started, twenty years ago. it has always been a turbine station, the first generating units being a pair of 250-kw. Brush-Parsons direct current sets running at 2,800 r.p.m. and furnishing current at 440 volts to 460 volts. These, it may be remarked, were the first turbo-generators ever built by the Brush Company, who were the earliest of Messrs. C. A. Parsons and Company’s British licensees. In 1911, larger generators were fitted to the turbines, and the output of each unit thereby raised to 350 kw. One of these machines is still in service with the original turbine. In 1914 it was decided to change the system of supply to alternating current at 50 cycles, and a 1,000-kw. 3-phase 6,600-volt Brush-Ljungstrom unit was installed, running at 3,000 r.p.m. Since that time the Loughborough Corporation has remained faithful to the Brush-Ljungstrom type of plant, a 1,500-kw. set being added in 1917, and a unit of 3,000 kw. capacity forming one of the features of the latest extensions which were formally put into service on Thursday, June 5......the Corporation invited Mr. C. H. Wordingham to draw up plans for the enlargement of the plant. Mr. Wordingham’s recommendations, which have now been carried into effect, involved the provision of the 3,000-kw. Brush-Ljunstrom turbogenerator already referred to ; a 1,000-kw. rotary converter by the British Thomson-Houston Company, Limited, with a Brush transformer; a Vickers-Spearing boiler with a normal rating of 25,000 lb. evaporation; extra high-tension switchgear of the ironclad type by Messrs. A. Reyrolle and Company, Limited; low-tension switchgear by Messrs. Bertram Thomas; and the necessary extensions to the buildings to accommodate the new plant. The capacity of the station has thus been raised to 5,850 kw., and room has been left for a further increase of plant.....The new turbo-alternator is of the standard Brush-Ljungstrom pattern, designed to work with steam at 200 lb. per square inch superheated to 600 or 650 deg. at the stop-valve, and with a vacuum of 28.75 in. It develops 3,000 kw. normally under these conditions, this being its most economical rating. It is fitted with overload valves enabling it to cope with a load of 3,300 kw. when the steam pressure has dropped to 180 lb. at 580 deg. F. and the vacuum is only 28 in.....' [1]