Esch-sur-Sûre Dam

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Esch-sur-Sûre Dam

Barrage Esch-sur-Sure.jpg

Downstream face of the dam
Luxembourg relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location of Esch-sur-Sûre Dam in Luxembourg
Country Luxembourg
Location Esch-sur-Sûre, Wiltz
Coordinates 49°54′42.44″N5°55′22.20″E / 49.9117889°N 5.9228333°E / 49.9117889; 5.9228333 Coordinates: 49°54′42.44″N5°55′22.20″E / 49.9117889°N 5.9228333°E / 49.9117889; 5.9228333
Purpose Power
Status Operational
Construction began 1956
Opening date 1957;61 years ago (1957)
Owner(s) Administration of Roads and Bridges/Syndicat des Eaux du Barrage d'Esch-sur-Sûre (SEBES)
Dam and spillways
Type of dam Arch
Impounds River Sauer
Height 50 m (160 ft)
Length 170 m (560 ft)
Width (crest) 1.5 m (4.9 ft)
Width (base) 4.5 m (15 ft)
Reservoir
Creates Upper Sûre Lake
Total capacity 59,000,000 m3 (48,000 acre⋅ft)
Catchment area 428 km2 (165 sq mi)
Surface area 3.5 km2 (1.4 sq mi)
Maximum length 19 km (12 mi)
Maximum water depth 43 m (141 ft)
Normal elevation 322 m (1,056 ft)
Operator(s) Société Electrique de l'Our
Commission date 1963
Turbines 2 x 5.5 MW Francis-type
Installed capacity 11 MW
Annual generation 16 GWh

The Esch-sur-Sûre Dam is an arch dam on the River Sauer just upstream of Esch-sur-Sûre in the Wiltz canton of Luxembourg. The primary purpose of the dam and its reservoir, Upper Sûre Lake, is to provide municipal water supply and hydroelectric power generation. The dam is operated jointly by the Administration of Roads and Bridges and the Syndicate des Eaux du Barrage d'Esch-sur-Sûre (SEBES) while the power station is operated by Société Electrique de l'Our (SEO).

Arch dam solid dam made of concrete that is curved upstream in plan

An arch dam is a concrete dam that is curved upstream in plan. The arch dam is designed so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, compressing and strengthening the structure as it pushes into its foundation or abutments. An arch dam is most suitable for narrow canyons or gorges with steep walls of stable rock to support the structure and stresses. Since they are thinner than any other dam type, they require much less construction material, making them economical and practical in remote areas.

Esch-sur-Sûre Commune in Wiltz, Luxembourg

Esch-sur-Sûre is a commune and small town in north-western Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Wiltz, which is part of the district of Diekirch. At one point it was the second smallest commune by area in Luxembourg, until Neunhausen and Heiderscheid were merged into it in 2011.

Wiltz (canton) Canton in Nord, Luxembourg

Wiltz is a canton in northwestern Luxembourg. Its capital is the city of Wiltz. It covers an area of 264.55 km², and as of 2018 it has a population of 16,735. It consists of seven communes:

Contents

Background

It was first conceived in the 1950s to help replace nature groundwater resources for the town of Esch-sur-Sûre. Using an André Coyne design, the dam was constructed between 1956 and 1957 and the power station was commissioned in 1963. [1] The reservoir has been drained twice during the dam's life; once in 1969 to install a new fixed water intake and again in 1991 to install and adjustable-arm intake which mitigate issues with algae growth in the reservoir. [2]

André Coyne was a French civil engineer who designed 70 dams in 14 countries. He received his education at École Polytechnique and its School of Civil Engineering afterwards.

Algae Group of eukaryotic organisms

Algae is an informal term for a large, diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms that are not necessarily closely related, and is thus polyphyletic. Including organisms ranging from unicellular microalgae genera, such as Chlorella and the diatoms, to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelp, a large brown alga which may grow up to 50 m in length. Most are aquatic and autotrophic and lack many of the distinct cell and tissue types, such as stomata, xylem, and phloem, which are found in land plants. The largest and most complex marine algae are called seaweeds, while the most complex freshwater forms are the Charophyta, a division of green algae which includes, for example, Spirogyra and the stoneworts.

Dam

The Esch-sur-Sûre is an arch dam with a height of 50 m (160 ft) and length of 170 m (560 ft). It is 1.5 m (4.9 ft) wide at its crest and 4.5 m (15 ft) wide at its base. The dam sits at the head of a 428 km2 (165 sq mi) catchment area and creates the Upper Sûre Lake which has a total volume of 59,000,000 m3 (48,000 acre⋅ft). The lake has a surface area of 3.5 km2 (1.4 sq mi) and is 19 km (12 mi) long. It is 43 m (141 ft) at it deepest point and the normal elevation is 322 m (1,056 ft). [3]

Drainage basin Area of land where precipitation collects and drains off into a common outlet

A drainage basin is any area of land where precipitation collects and drains off into a common outlet, such as into a river, bay, or other body of water. The drainage basin includes all the surface water from rain runoff, snowmelt, and nearby streams that run downslope towards the shared outlet, as well as the groundwater underneath the earth's surface. Drainage basins connect into other drainage basins at lower elevations in a hierarchical pattern, with smaller sub-drainage basins, which in turn drain into another common outlet.

Power station

The power station at the base of the dam contains two 5.5 MW Francis turbine-generators for a total installed capacity of 11 MW. The power station generates an average of 16 GWh annually. Downstream of the dam there are three weirs fitted with Kaplan turbines with a total installed capacity of 550 kW. [4]

The watt is a unit of power. In the International System of Units (SI) it is defined as a derived unit of 1 joule per second, and is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. In dimensional analysis, power is described by .

Francis turbine type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts

The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts.

Kaplan turbine propeller-type water turbine which has adjustable blades

The Kaplan turbine is a propeller-type water turbine which has adjustable blades. It was developed in 1913 by Austrian professor Viktor Kaplan, who combined automatically adjusted propeller blades with automatically adjusted wicket gates to achieve efficiency over a wide range of flow and water level.

Spillway plans

The dam also provides for flood control but has no spillway. Currently, two bottom outlets with a 450 m3/s (16,000 cu ft/s) discharge capacity pass floods through the reservoir. Floods in the 1990s highlighted the need for a spillway at the dam. A design for a chute spillway on the left abutment of the dam have been drafted but not implemented. [3]

Flood control methods used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters

Flood control methods are used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters. Flood relief methods are used to reduce the effects of flood waters or high water levels.

Spillway structure for controlled release of flows from a dam or levee

A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure that the water does not overflow and damage or destroy the dam.

See also

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References

  1. "Dam of Esch-sur-Sure" (in French). Structurae. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  2. "Dam Esch-sur-Sure" (in French). Administration of Roads and Bridges. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  3. 1 2 Lazaro, Philippe (October 2007). "New Spillway at the Esch-sur-Sûre Dam in Luxembourg" (PDF). Wasserbau. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  4. "Esch-Sauer" (in German). Société Electrique de l'Our. Retrieved 25 March 2014.