Penstock safety: Proactive or reactive

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1996 · Journal of Energy Engineering

OSTI ID:218574

A significant percentage of the US electrical power generation is from hydroelectric power. This represents hundreds of operating facilities, of which approximately 2/3 are over 50 years old. Historically, the majority of penstock failures have occurred at either new facilities, during its initial years of operation, or at facilities over 50 years old. The purpose of this article is twofold. First it presents economic and practical reasons for an owner to take a proactive role in penstock safety. Not only does it allow them to protect the major investment they have in their hydroelectric facilities, but also protect their employees, the general public, and the environment. Second, this article presents an example of an effective Penstock Safety Program. This example of a program was developed to provide simple, flexible, systematic, and economic methods for development and implementation of a proactive Penstock Safety Program.

• OSTI ID: 218574
• Journal Information: Journal of Energy Engineering, Journal Name: Journal of Energy Engineering Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 122; ISSN JLEED9; ISSN 0733-9402
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

13 HYDRO ENERGY
AGE DEPENDENCE
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
MAINTENANCE
PENSTOCKS
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
REGULATIONS
SAFETY ANALYSIS
US FERC