Penstock

Penstock

A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydraulic turbines and sewerage systems. It is a term that has been inherited from the technology of wooden watermills.

In hydro-electric systems and dams

Penstocks for hydroelectric installations are normally equipped with a gate system and a surge tank. Flow is regulated by turbine operation and is nil when turbines are not in service. Maintenance requirements may include hot water wash, manual cleaning, antifoulant coatings, and desiccation.

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 penstock rings control the water level letting the slimes settle out of the water, this water is then piped back under the tailings dam back to the plant via a penstock pipeline.

In watermills

See: Watermill.

imilar structures

Similar structures which are not enclosed are "head races" or leats (non elevated), and flumes (elevated).

External links

* [http://users.owt.com/chubbard/gcdam/html/hydro.html Penstock cross-sections for the Grand Coulee Dam]
* [http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/hydro_basics.html U.S. Department of Energy Hydropower Basics]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Penstock — Pen stock, n. [Etymol. uncertain; perh. fr. pen an inclosure + stock.] 1. A close conduit or pipe for conducting water, as, to a water wheel, or for emptying a pond, or for domestic uses. [1913 Webster] 2. The barrel of a wooden pump. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • penstock — [pen′stäk΄] n. [ PEN1 + STOCK] 1. a gate or sluice used in controlling the flow of water ☆ 2. a tube or trough for carrying water to a water wheel …   English World dictionary

  • penstock — noun Date: circa 1607 1. a sluice or gate for regulating a flow (as of water) 2. a conduit or pipe for conducting water …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • penstock — a gate or sluice used to control water flow …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • penstock — /pen stok /, n. 1. a pipe conducting water from a head gate to a waterwheel. 2. a conduit for conveying water to a power plant. See diag. under dam1. 3. a sluicelike contrivance used to control the flow of water. [1600 10; PEN2 + STOCK] * * * …   Universalium

  • penstock — noun A sluice or pipe which allows the controlled flow of water from behind a dam, typically routing it to a turbine of a power plant …   Wiktionary

  • penstock — Synonyms and related words: aboideau, air lock, chute, dock gate, eaves trough, flood hatch, floodgate, gate, guide, gutter, head gate, lock, lock gate, pentrough, shoot, sluice, sluice gate, tide gate, trough, water gate, weir …   Moby Thesaurus

  • penstock — penstÉ‘k / stÉ’k n. gate or trough for carrying water to water wheel …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Penstock —   A component of a hydropower plant; a pipe that delivers water to the turbine …   Energy terms

  • penstock — noun 1》 a sluice for controlling or directing the flow of water. 2》 a channel or pipe for conveying water to a hydroelectric station or waterwheel. Origin C17: from pen2 (meaning mill dam ) + stock …   English new terms dictionary

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