Ohio Falls Station facts for kids

The Ohio Falls Station is a special power plant that makes electricity using the power of moving water. It's called a hydroelectric station. This plant is located near Louisville, Kentucky, right on the Ohio River. It's owned by two companies, Louisville Gas & Electric (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities (KU).

The station sits on Shippingport Island, next to the McAlpine Dam and its locks. These locks help boats travel past the Ohio River's natural falls. The plant was built in 1923 by Byllesby Engineering and Management Corporation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Inside the plant, there are eight large machines. Each machine can create about 10.4 megawatts of power. They use special parts called Allis Chamber turbines and General Electric generators. The Ohio Falls Station is also located within the Ohio Natural Wildlife Conservation Area. It's a big power plant that uses a dam to create a pool of water, which then helps make electricity.

The idea for this station came about because of a canal and dam built much earlier. Starting in 1825, people worked to build a canal and dam on the Ohio River. This was to help boats get around an 8-foot drop in the river, which was about 2 miles wide. Later, when repairs were needed on the dam, engineers in Louisville realized they could also build a hydroelectric station there. This would let them use the river's power to make electricity!

How the Ohio Falls Plant Started

At first, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers thought the Ohio Falls wasn't a good place for a hydroelectric plant. This was because the river's water levels changed a lot. Sometimes the water was too high, so it didn't fall enough to create power. Other times, the water was too low, so there wasn't enough flow to spin the turbines.

But in 1912, an Army Corps major looked at the idea again. He found that new technology made it possible to build a hydro power plant after all. When it first opened, the Ohio Falls Plant made enough electricity for the entire city of Louisville. However, as the city grew, the plant alone couldn't provide enough power anymore.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers still manages the dam today. They control how much water flows through it. Their main goals are to protect the environment and manage the river's water levels. This means the plant can't always make as much electricity as it possibly could, because protecting the river comes first.

How Electricity is Made

Making electricity at the Ohio Falls Station is pretty cool! Here's how it works:

• Water from the dam flows into the power plant.
• First, the water goes through "trash bars." These are like big filters that catch any large pieces of trash or debris. This stops them from damaging the machines.
• After the trash bars, the clean water rushes through and spins a shaft.
• This shaft is connected to special blades, which then spin a turbine.
• The spinning turbine is connected to a generator.
• When the generator spins, it creates electricity!

The eight generators at the Ohio Falls Station can produce about 80 megawatts of electricity.

Making the Plant Better

LG&E and KU are always working to improve the Ohio Falls Plant. They want to make more electricity without harming the environment. They have a three-step plan to upgrade the station.

Phase 1: Modern Technology

The first step was finished in 2002. This involved updating the plant's equipment with new technology. Now, many operations can be controlled automatically or even from far away!

Phase 2: Cleaner Water Flow

The second step was completed between 2004 and 2005. This part focused on stopping waste from entering the dam and damaging the machines. They added a "trash-rack cleaning machine," a sluice gate, and new trash racks. These tools help filter out trash that flows down the river before it reaches the dam.

Phase 3: Unit Restoration

The third step was planned to be finished in 2017. This phase includes a full restoration of the power-making units. This means:

• Adding new parts called "runners."
• Rewinding the generators.
• Restoring other important parts like the "stator" and "wicket gates."
• Changing how the "exciter" works to make it more efficient.

As part of these upgrades, engineers used a computer model. This model helped them figure out the best size and shape for the turbines. This will help the plant work better with different water levels. It will also increase the plant's electricity production to 101 megawatts!

How Much Power It Makes

The Ohio Falls Plant can produce 80 megawatts of electricity. That's a lot of power! To give you an idea, the average American uses about 3,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year.

With its 80 megawatts of power, the Ohio Falls Plant can provide enough electricity for about 233,600 people! That's like powering a small city just from the flow of the river.