Purpose
The dam serves mainly for the generation of hydroelectric power. It is an important component of Southern California Edison's Big Creek Hydroelectric Project, which comprises a system of 25 dams, nine power plants and supporting tunnels and diversion channels in the upper basin of the San Joaquin River. Water from the reservoir is diverted into a 7.45-mile (11.99 km)-long reinforced concrete penstock into Mammoth Pool Powerhouse, which has two 100,000 hp turbines totaling a nominal generating capacity of 190 megawatts (MW). Due to friction decreasing flow rate in the power tunnel, the actual output during maximum generation is only about 187 MW. A 350 ft (110 m) high surge chamber is located shortly above the powerhouse to provide protection to the turbines in case of abrupt flow fluctuations through the tunnel. The 1,004 ft (306 m) hydraulic head afforded to the power plant is almost three times greater than the dam's structural height.
Read more about this topic: Mammoth Pool Dam
Famous quotes containing the word purpose:
“... my one aim and concentrated purpose shall be and is to show that women can learn, can reason, can compete with men in the grand fields of literature and science ... that a woman can be a woman and a true one without having all her time engrossed by dress and society.”
—M. Carey Thomas (1857–1935)
“I think the worst thing this nation could do for humanity would be to leave any uncertainty as to our will, our purpose and our capacity to carry out our purpose.”
—Hubert H. Humphrey (1911–1978)
“...Often the accurate answer to a usage question begins, “It depends.” And what it depends on most often is where you are, who you are, who your listeners or readers are, and what your purpose in speaking or writing is.”
—Kenneth G. Wilson (b. 1923)