One of the most important components of every-day life in New Martinsville really isn't visible to most people.
The New Martinsville Hydroelectric Plant, located at the east end of the Hannibal Locks and Dam, has been producing clean energy since 1988 via its twin bulb turbine generators.
In addition, the process of producing electricity allows for regular cleaning of the Ohio River at the same time. According to Plant Manager Chuck Storma, who has worked at the plant since it started operation, "People really have no idea just how big this plant is. Most of it is not visible from above ground."
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Photo by Art Limann
The plant design uses the natural flow of the Ohio River to turn the turbine generators. It is referred to as a "run of the river" plant. "We're completely dependent of the flow of the river," he said.
The turbine generators are capable of producing 36 megawatts of electric which is sold to the Monogahela Power Company for distribution on the nation's electric grid. The amount of electricity it can produce is enough to serve seven towns the size of New Martinsville.
Storma explained the power producing units are like a seven-story lightbulb turned on its side which allows the water to flow straight. Each has a giant three-bladed propeller rotating around the neck with turbine generators attached to the propeller. They are 21 feet below the surface of the water. At the time they were built, they were among the largest in the world.
The generating capacity not only depends on how far the water falls but also how much water there is. "Low-head" plants such as New Martinsville, compensate for lack of height by moving more water. Instead of using a vertical turbine, such as Hoover Dam, the local bulb turbine generators lie horizontally. A computer maintains the exact speed of each propeller by opening and closing wicket gates built into the structure of each bulb turbine.
The wicket gates control the water flow similar to the shutter iris of a camera. The vanes of the wicket gates adjust the water's flow past the propellers, compensating for changes in the river's natural current. In addition the computer controls hydraulic systems that set the pitch of the propeller blades to get the maximum amount of energy out of the water.
According to Storma, during its 20 years of operation the New Martinsville plant has averaged operating at about 80 percent of its capacity. The units have only been shut down for regular maintenance one at a time. The city of New Martinsville totally operates and maintains the facility. Storma works with four operators and two maintanance employees on his staff.
In addition to its generating function, the power plant also serves as river cleaner, periodically collecting debris from behind dam. According to Storma, screens on the north side of the dam are designed to prevent debris from entering the hydro turbines and also act as a filter.
Trash, logs, tires, aerosol cans and other material are cleaned from the river where these items accumulate behind the dam. A large trashrack rake includes an 80-foot telescopic boom which extends to the river bottom to loosen submerged debris. It then lifts the debris from the river, and it is placed into containers to be hauled away. In the past, some items were recycled, however, this was discontinued because it was not cost affective. The system runs four hours a day every day.
Hydropower is generated at only about 3 percent of the nation's 80,000 dams. It is, however, the nation's leading renewable resource.