Design
The Belo Monte Dam complex (AHE Belo Monte) consists of three dams, numerous dykes and a series of canals in order to supply two different power stations with water. The Pimental Dam (3°27′33″S 51°57′31″W / 3.45917°S 51.95861°W / -3.45917; -51.95861 (Pimental Dam)) on the Xingu would be 36 metres (118 ft) tall, 6,248 metres (20,499 ft) long and have a structural volume of 4,768,000 cubic metres (168,400,000 cu ft). It would create the Calha Do Xingu Reservoir which would have a normal capacity of 2,069,000,000 cubic metres (1,677,000 acre·ft) and surface area of 333 square kilometres (129 sq mi). The dam would support a power station and its spillway would serve as the complex's principal spillway with 17 floodgates and a 47,400 cubic metres per second (1,673,915 cu ft/s) maximum discharge. The dam's reservoir would also divert water into two 12 km (7 mi) long canals. These canals would supply water to the Dos Canais Reservoir which is created within the "Big Bend" by the Belo Monte Dam (3°06′44″S 51°48′56″W / 3.11222°S 51.81556°W / -3.11222; -51.81556 (Belo Monte Dam)), a series of 28 dykes around the reservoir's perimeter and the Bela Vista Dam (3°19′46″S 51°47′27″W / 3.32944°S 51.79083°W / -3.32944; -51.79083 (Bela Vista Dam)) which lies on the Dos Canais Reservoir's eastern perimeter. The Belo Monte Dam would support the main power station in the complex. The power station would contain 20 x vertical Francis turbines listed at 550 MW (max 560 MW). Supplying each turbine with water is a 113 metres (371 ft) long, 11.2 metres (37 ft) diameter penstock, affording an average of 89.3 metres (293 ft) of hydraulic head. The Pimental Dam's power station would contain seven Kaplan bulb turbines, each rated at 25.9 MW and with 13.1 metres (43 ft) of hydraulic head.
The Belo Monte Dam would be 90 metres (300 ft) tall, 3,545 metres (11,631 ft) long and have a structual volume (embankments included) of 25,356,000 cubic metres (895,400,000 cu ft) while the Bella Vista would be 33 metres (108 ft) high, 351 metres (1,152 ft) long and have a structural volume of 239,500 cubic metres (8,460,000 cu ft). The Dos Canais Reservoir would have a normal capacity of 1,889,000,000 cubic metres (1,531,000 acre·ft), a normal surface area of 108 square kilometres (42 sq mi) and a normal elevation area of 97 metres (318 ft) above sea level. The Bela Vista Dam which serves as the complex's secondary spillway would have a maximum discharge capacity of 14,600 cubic metres per second (520,000 cu ft/s).
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