Authorized Personnel Only - Hydroelectric Plant Shutdown

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[KingdaToro]

Note the amps starting to rise at 0:51, which continues until it trips offline a couple seconds later. That's the grid driving the generator, it's basically acting as a big motor.

[davidgrisez]

I worked for 34 years in Steam Electric Generating Stations, most of the time as a Steam Plant Operator. These Hydro Power Plants are utter simplicity compared to a Steam Electric Generation. At a Steam Electric Generating Station it takes around 12 hours to start up a unit and go online and generate power compared to less than a few minutes with a Hydro Power Plant. Also a normal shutdown of a Steam Electric Generating unit takes at least an hour. And the shutdown of one of these Hydro Electric units takes about a minute.

[dustinclemo]

I had a nozzle stuck open on a 5mw hydro. We got really close too over speed at separation.. that was exciting

[gravelydon]

If it is 100db in there, you are breaking a safety rule. I ran Diesels in enclosed buildings and they were at 108db. Our phone siren was at 123db. Anything over 90db is bad for your hearing. Our restroom was at 85 so we could take them off or out depending on whether ear muffs or plugs but most of the time did not. After spending a couple weeks listening to then run while on a 12 hour shift, we often wore both at the same time.

[fitybux]

Managers at the power company: "Uhhh, we're going to need to cancel your contract. You guys keep starting and stopping production randomly! WTF!"

[mtcruse]

Did I detect a hint of AvE in the intro? :)

[kjsud]

Got the same sense of quiet when shuttering in an oil/natural gas battery. All the feedlines shut, the nat gas powered heaters turned off, the seperators turned down, compressors turned off. Neat.

[fardreaming]

Love hydro station, hope we get lots more vids.

[norbert]

0:54 Almost feels like when Generator Overloads, Overheats or has an Short-circuit due to high air humidity or due to some Troll Tripping the Reactor at 20-30% APRM which trips the Turbine as well.
At around 10%(where transformer load is less than 100MW), you can disconnect from the grid and enter islanding mode where the turbine provides enough energy so that you don't need to use startup transformer.

[seeigecannon]

You mentioned that you were getting a call about the plant going offline... isn't that the kind of thing they should know about in advance?
Also, why do you close the gate until the system trips instead of just opening the contractor (or whatever is used to tie into the grid)?
Thanks. Look forward to more videos.

[RobertMorgan]

I experience the same thing in my water treatment plant, being there 10-12 hour days for almost 8 years now, when you're there and it's offline, the silence is deafening, and spooky. It's a several hundred thousand square foot facility and you're usually there alone. Many allege it's haunted just by virtue of being in a small Mississippi River town.

[seanfilice]

Awesome! Loved of the view of the forebay/trash racks!

Would have loved to see the outflow/tail race water during the shutdown too.. maybe next time? Keep posting more Hydro vids!

[kokotajebka]

Its like synchronous motor before the disconecting from the power line

[canyonraney]

Hey big fan! Just wanted to ask, how do you get the required certs in order to operate powerplants like that? It seems like a freakin' amazing job.

[mikesolo]

Love your video, but if its 100 dB, please please wear hearing protection!

[thebinarydragon]

Awesome! What is “Condition 1” that the system is announcing?

[isettech]

I'm surprised you let the unit motor at such high power before disconnecting from the grid. It is normal to reduce power to zero or near zero, then disconnect. This prevents opening breakers at high current and causes less disturbance on the grid. Is there any reason you let the current climb so high before disconnecting? Noticed you ran the power factor to the peg. That was a pretty good size reactive load when you disconnected.

[generatorjohn]

Do you have a reverse power relay on that unit to automatically trip the circuit breaker?

[hansmuller]

If it were me i'd ramp it down to a low output and disconnect before getting backfeed. But as long as the protection works no big deal i guess.

[barrykery]

Pretty neat. Can I assume you were in phase with the grid when you were at 60 hertz and the second gauge from the left was straight up?
I realize that just because you were at 60 hz, that does not mean you were in phase? Or did I miss something?

Barry