IV REPORT IDAMALAYAR POWER HOUSE

CONSTRUCTION DETAILS

The idamalayar dam project was started in 1970 and completed after 17 yrs. In an analysis
carried out in 2001 on the reasons for the delay in completion of Hydropower projects
resulting in immense cost overruns in kerala, it was noted that the idamalayar project could
be commissioned only in 1987 with a time overrun of 9 yrs and consequent cost overrun of
285% resulting in a capital cost of Rs 2.81 per kWh of generation. While technical reasons
for the delays were fully documented, the delay highlighted, however, was attributed to the
irrational behavior of the organized militant labour. A high level committee set up by the
which examined this issue, observed that the idamalayar dam project has been thevictim of
recurring and long inertial periods of labour unrest.

There was also controversy over the contract awards. The government appointed justice K
Sukumaran to inquire into allegations related to the idamalayar and kallada dam construction
contracts. Based on his report, minister and others were prosecuted by a special court. The
kerala high court later acquitted them,but in feb 2011 the supreme court of india sentenced R
Balakrishna pillai and two others to a yr in prison for abusing their positions when awarding
the contracts.

The vachumaram diversion canal constructed during 1997. The water stored in the reservoir
is used for energy generation during the monsoon season adopting a suitable reservoir
operational schedule so that the water diverted from the diversion canal is not spilled out.

DEPARTMENT OF EEE,ICET,MULAVOORPage 2
IV REPORT IDAMALAYAR POWER HOUSE

GEOGRAPHY

Official name Idamalayar Dam

Country India

Location Ernakulam

Construction began 1970

Opening date 1985

Dam and spillways

Impounds idamalayar/periyar river

Heights 102.80 meters

Length 373 meters

Reservoir

Creates Idamalayar Reservoir

Total capacity 1.0898 cubic kilometers

Catchment area 381

Power station

Operators Kerala State Electricty Board

Types gravity dam

Power generation

Nameplate capacity 75MW

Capacity factor 58%

DEPARTMENT OF EEE,ICET,MULAVOORPage 3
IV REPORT IDAMALAYAR POWER HOUSE

IDAMALAYAR DAM

Idamalayar Dam is a multipurpose concrete gravity dam located at Ennakal, near

Bhoothathankettu, on the Idamalayar River, a tributary of the Periyar River in Kerala, South
India. Completed in 1985, with a length of 373 metres (1,224 ft), the dam created a
multipurpose reservoir covering 28.3 km2 (10.9 sq mi) in the scenic hills of the Western
Ghats.

The reservoir storage is utilized by a hydroelectric power station which has an installed
capacity of 75 MW with two units of 37.5 MW capacity, producing an annual energy output
of 380 GWh.

The large reservoir created by the Idamalayar Dam is operated by the Kerala State Electricity
Board to augment its peak power generation requirements. The dam will benefit the
Idamalayar Irrigation Development Project by diverting water released from the tail race
channel of the Idamalayar power station.

DEPARTMENT OF EEE,ICET,MULAVOORPage 4
IV REPORT IDAMALAYAR POWER HOUSE

STRUCTURAL DETAILS

The dam built across the Idamalayar River is a gravity concrete structure with a total
height of 102.80 metres (337.3 ft) above the deepest foundation level with a length of 373
metres (1,224 ft) at the crest level. The full reservoir level is elevation 169 metres (554 ft) and
the minimum draw down mevel (MDDL) is 115 metres (377 ft). The dam has created a
reservoir with a water spread of 28.3 km2 (10.9 sq mi). The reservoir has a gross storage
capacity of 1,089.0 million cubic metres of which the effective storage is 1,017.8 million
cubic metres. The spillway has been designed to pass a design flood discharge of 3,012.8
cubic metres per second (106,400 cu ft/s).

The storage in the reservoir created behind the high concrete gravity dam is utilized
for power generation by diversion through a water conductor system comprising a 1,700
metres (5,600 ft) long power tunnel, surge shaft and two lines of penstocks connected to the
turbines installed in a surface power station for generation of 75 MW of power with two units
of 35 MW capacity each.

Instrumentation is provided in the Idamalayar Dam and the observations carried out
are analysed regularly to monitor the safety of the structure. However, a rehabilitation project
envisaging improving the safety and operational performance of selected structures such as
dams, barrages and regulators, which covers 19 projects under the Irrigation Department and
12 projects of the Kerala State Electricity Board, has been approved under the World Bank
funded "Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP)" to be implemented from
January 2011. Idamalayar Dam is one of the projects included in this programme. However,
the rehabilitation work on this dam is proposed to be taken up in the second stage.

DEPARTMENT OF EEE,ICET,MULAVOORPage 5
IV REPORT IDAMALAYAR POWER HOUSE

WATER RESOURCES

Based on detailed hydrological analysis, with observed data supplemented by rainfall

runoff correlation and prediction of low flows during dry months, the mean annual runoff was
estimated as about 1,207 million cubic meters and that at 95% availability as 730 million
cubic meters. Therefore the live storage in the reservoir was fixed at 1,032.3 million cubic
meters. However subsequent to the commissioning of the project in 1987, availability of the
flows was reassessed. It was noted that flows reduced to 1,178 million cubic meters in dry
seasons and reached 4,361 million cubic meters during the monsoon. The total annual flow
was assessed as 5,539 million cubic meters. As irrigation requirements are not critical during
monsoon season the assessment of dry weather flows is relevant for irrigation.

The storage in the reservoir created behind the high concrete gravity dam is utilized for
power generation by diversion through a water conductor system comprising a 1,700 meters
long power tunnel, surge shaft and two lines of penstock connected to the turbines installed in
a surface power station generation of 75MW of power with two units of 35MW capacity
each.

Instrumentation is provided in the idamalayar dam and the observations carried out are
analysed regularly to monitor the safety on the structure. However a rehabilitation project
envisaging improving the safety and operational performance of selected structures such as
dams ,barrages and regulators , which covers 19 projects under the irrigation department and
12 projects of the kerala state electricity board, has been approved under the world bank
funded Dam rehabilitation and improvement project to be implemented from January 2011.

DEPARTMENT OF EEE,ICET,MULAVOORPage 6
IV REPORT IDAMALAYAR POWER HOUSE

ELECTRICAL SUBSTATION

A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution

system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of
several other important functions. Between the generating station and consumer, electric
power may flow through several substations at different voltage levels. A substation may
include transformers to change voltage levels between high transmission voltages and lower
distribution voltages, or at the interconnection of two different transmission voltages.

Substations may be owned and operated by an electrical utility, or may be owned by a

large industrial or commercial customer. Generally substations are unattended, relying on
SCADA for remote supervision and control.

The word substation comes from the days before the distribution system became a
grid. As central generation stations became larger, smaller generating plants were converted
to distribution stations, receiving their energy supply from a larger plant instead of using their
own generators. The first substations were connected to only one power station, where the
generators were housed, and were subsidiaries of that power station.

DEPARTMENT OF EEE,ICET,MULAVOORPage 7
IV REPORT IDAMALAYAR POWER HOUSE

TURBINE

The turbine used in idamalayar power house is Francis turbine. 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.

Francis turbines are the most common water turbine in use today. They operate in a
water head from 40 to 600 m (130 to 2,000 ft) and are primarily used for electrical power
production. The electric generators that most often use this type of turbine have a power
output that generally ranges from just a few kilowatts up to 800 MW, though mini-hydro
installations may be lower. Penstock (input pipes) diameters are between 3 and 33 ft (0.91
and 10 m). The speed range of the turbine is from 75 to 1000 rpm. A wicket gate around the
outside of the turbine's rotating runner controls the rate of water flow through the turbine for
different power production rates. Francis turbines are almost always mounted with the shaft
vertical to isolate water from the generator. This also facilitates installation and maintenance.

DEPARTMENT OF EEE,ICET,MULAVOORPage 8
IV REPORT IDAMALAYAR POWER HOUSE

GENERATOR

In electricity generation, a generator is a device that converts mechanical

energy to electrical energy for use in an external circuit. Sources of mechanical
energy include steam turbines, gas turbines, water turbines, and internal
combustion engines and even hand cranks. The first electromagnetic generator,
the Faraday disk, was built in 1831 by British scientist Michael Faraday.
Generators provide nearly all of the power for electric power grids.

The reverse conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy is

done by an electric motor, and motors and generators have many similarities.
Many motors can be mechanically driven to generate electricity and frequently
make acceptable manual generators.

DEPARTMENT OF EEE,ICET,MULAVOORPage 9