Dukan Dam
Encyclopedia
The Dukan Dam is a multi-purpose concrete arch dam
in As Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraq
. It impounds the Little Zab
, thereby creating Lake Dukan
. The Dukan Dam was built between 1954 and 1959 whereas its power station became fully operational in 1979. The dam is 360 metres (1,181.1 ft) long and 116.5 metres (382.2 ft) high and its hydroelectric
power station
has a maximum capacity of 400 MW
.
and hydroelectricity
. The design for the dam was carried out by the British engineering company Binnie & Partners. Prior to the flooding of Lake Dukan, the area has been subjected to archaeological research to investigate as many archaeological sites as possible. An archaeological survey
in the Ranya Plain documented some 40 archaeological site
s with evidence for occupation ranging from the sixth millennium BCE up to the present. Five of these sites were then excavated: Tell Bazmusian
, ed-Dem, Kamarian, Qarashina and Tell Shemshara
. The excavations at Tell Bazmusian revealed a temple dating to the second millennium BCE. At Tell Shemshara, an early-sixth millennium BCE village was excavated, as well as an early-second millennium BCE palace with a small archive of clay tablet
s. The inhabitants of some 50 villages in the flooded area, around 1,000–1,200 families, were resettled to the west of the lake. The power station was designed in 1973 by the Russian company Hydroproject
and became operational in 1979. Due to lack of maintenance and repairs, the power station has underperformed and is now, after 30 years of service, due for replacement.
The Russian made turbine control units are gradually being replaced. Turbine number 1 control unit was replaced in 2010 with an Italian made unit. The turbines themselves are still serviceable according to engineers at the dam project in March 2011.
of the dam is 4300 cubic metres (151,853.1 cu ft) per second. This is divided over a spillway
tunnel with three radial gates having a combined maximum discharge of 2440 cubic metres (86,167.8 cu ft) per second, and an emergency bellmouth gloryhole spillway with a capacity of 1860 cubic metres (65,685.3 cu ft) per second. Two irrigation outlets with a combined discharge of 220 cubic metres (7,769.2 cu ft) per second have not been operated over the last ten years. The powerhouse of five Francis units
at 80 MW each releases between 110 and 550 m³ (3,884.6 and 19,423.1 ) per second. Lake Dukan, the reservoir created by the Dukan Dam, has a surface area of 270 square kilometres (104.2 sq mi). Its anticipated capacity is 6.8 cubic kilometres (1.6 cu mi) with a maximum of 8.3 cubic kilometres (2 cu mi).
Arch dam
An arch dam is a type of dam that is curved and commonly built with concrete. The arch dam is a structure that is designed to curve upstream 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...
in As Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. It impounds the Little Zab
Little Zab
The Little Zab , , ) originates in Iran and joins the Tigris in Iraq. The river is approximately long and drains an area of c. . The river is fed by rainfall and snowmelt, resulting in a peak discharge in spring and low water in summer and early fall...
, thereby creating Lake Dukan
Lake Dukan
Lake Dukan is the largest lake in Iraqi Kurdistan. It is located close to the city of Ranya, and is a reservoir on the Little Zab created by the construction of the Dukan Dam. The Dukan Dam was built between 1954 and 1959 as a multi-purpose dam to provide water storage, irrigation and...
. The Dukan Dam was built between 1954 and 1959 whereas its power station became fully operational in 1979. The dam is 360 metres (1,181.1 ft) long and 116.5 metres (382.2 ft) high and its hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
has a maximum capacity of 400 MW
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
.
Project history
The Dukan Dam was built between 1954 and 1959 as a multi-purpose dam to provide water storage, irrigationIrrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
and hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
. The design for the dam was carried out by the British engineering company Binnie & Partners. Prior to the flooding of Lake Dukan, the area has been subjected to archaeological research to investigate as many archaeological sites as possible. An archaeological survey
Archaeological field survey
Archaeological field survey is the method by which archaeologists search for archaeological sites and collect information about the location, distribution and organization of past human cultures across a large area...
in the Ranya Plain documented some 40 archaeological site
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
s with evidence for occupation ranging from the sixth millennium BCE up to the present. Five of these sites were then excavated: Tell Bazmusian
Tell Bazmusian
Tell Bazmusian is an archaeological site on the right bank of the Little Zab in the Ranya Plain . The site was excavated between 1956 and 1958 by Iraqi archaeologists as part of a salvage operation to document cultural remains that would be flooded by Lake Dukan, the reservoir created by the Dukan...
, ed-Dem, Kamarian, Qarashina and Tell Shemshara
Tell Shemshara
Tell Shemshara is an archaeological site located along the Little Zab in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, northeastern Iraq. The site was excavated between 1957 and 1959 by Danish and Iraqi archaeologists and is now inundated by Lake Dukan. The excavations showed that the site was occupied, although not...
. The excavations at Tell Bazmusian revealed a temple dating to the second millennium BCE. At Tell Shemshara, an early-sixth millennium BCE village was excavated, as well as an early-second millennium BCE palace with a small archive of clay tablet
Clay tablet
In the Ancient Near East, clay tablets were used as a writing medium, especially for writing in cuneiform, throughout the Bronze Age and well into the Iron Age....
s. The inhabitants of some 50 villages in the flooded area, around 1,000–1,200 families, were resettled to the west of the lake. The power station was designed in 1973 by the Russian company Hydroproject
Hydroproject
Hydroproject is a Russian hydrotechnical design firm. Based in Moscow, it has a number of branches around the country. Its main activities are design of dams, hydroelectric stations, canals, sluices, etc....
and became operational in 1979. Due to lack of maintenance and repairs, the power station has underperformed and is now, after 30 years of service, due for replacement.
The Russian made turbine control units are gradually being replaced. Turbine number 1 control unit was replaced in 2010 with an Italian made unit. The turbines themselves are still serviceable according to engineers at the dam project in March 2011.
Characteristics of the dam
The Dukan Dam is a multi-purpose concrete arch dam abutted by gravity monoliths. It is 360 metres (1,181.1 ft) long and 116.5 metres (382.2 ft) high. At its base it is 32.5 metres (106.6 ft) wide, tapering off to 6.2 metres (20.3 ft) at the top. The combined maximum dischargeDischarge (hydrology)
In hydrology, discharge is the volume rate of water flow, including any suspended solids , dissolved chemical species and/or biologic material , which is transported through a given cross-sectional area...
of the dam is 4300 cubic metres (151,853.1 cu ft) per second. This is divided over a spillway
Spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
tunnel with three radial gates having a combined maximum discharge of 2440 cubic metres (86,167.8 cu ft) per second, and an emergency bellmouth gloryhole spillway with a capacity of 1860 cubic metres (65,685.3 cu ft) per second. Two irrigation outlets with a combined discharge of 220 cubic metres (7,769.2 cu ft) per second have not been operated over the last ten years. The powerhouse of five Francis units
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....
at 80 MW each releases between 110 and 550 m³ (3,884.6 and 19,423.1 ) per second. Lake Dukan, the reservoir created by the Dukan Dam, has a surface area of 270 square kilometres (104.2 sq mi). Its anticipated capacity is 6.8 cubic kilometres (1.6 cu mi) with a maximum of 8.3 cubic kilometres (2 cu mi).