Água Vermelha Dam
Encyclopedia
The Água Vermelha Dam is an embankment dam
on the Grande River
near Iturama
in Minas Gerais
/São Paulo
, Brazil
. It was constructed for hydroelectric power production and flood control
. Construction on the dam began in 1973 and it was completed and operational by 1978. The last generators were operational in 1979.
and spillway
portion. The volume of concrete in the dam structure is 1500000 cubic metre. The dam's spillway contains eight floodgate
s each with a maximum discharge capacity of 2481 m3/s for a total of 19848 m3/s. The dam's reservoir has a capacity of 11.025 km³ (2.6 cu mi), of which 11 km³ (2.6 cu mi) is live (active or "useful") storage. The surface are of the reservoir is 647 square kilometre and its maximum level above sea level is 383.3 m (1,257.5 ft) and the minimum is 373.3 m (1,224.7 ft). The dam's power station has a gross hydraulic head
of 57 m (187 ft) and contains six 232.7 MW generators
powered by Francis turbine
s for a total installed capacity of 1,396.2 MW.
Embankment dam
An embankment dam is a massive artificial water barrier. It is typically created by the emplacement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil, sand, clay and/or rock. It has a semi-permanent waterproof natural covering for its surface, and a dense, waterproof...
on the Grande River
Grande River
The Grande River is river in south-central Brazil. It rises in the Mantiqueira Mountains in the state of Minas Gerais and descends inland, west-northwestward. Its lower course marks a portion of the Minas Gerais-São Paulo border...
near Iturama
Iturama
Iturama is a municipality in the west of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. As of 2007 the population was 31,495 in a total area of 1,401 km². It became a municipality in 1948.-Location:...
in Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
/São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. It was constructed for hydroelectric power production and flood control
Flood control
In communications, flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver. Such controls can be implemented either in software or in hardware, and will often request that the message be resent after the receiver has finished...
. Construction on the dam began in 1973 and it was completed and operational by 1978. The last generators were operational in 1979.
Specifications
The dam is a 3940 m (12,926.5 ft) long and 67 m (219.8 ft) high embankment dam with a concrete power stationPower station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
and 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...
portion. The volume of concrete in the dam structure is 1500000 cubic metre. The dam's spillway contains eight floodgate
Floodgate
Floodgates are adjustable gates used to control water flow in flood barriers, reservoir, river, stream, or levee systems. They may be designed to set spillway crest heights in dams, to adjust flow rates in sluices and canals, or they may be designed to stop water flow entirely as part of a levee or...
s each with a maximum discharge capacity of 2481 m3/s for a total of 19848 m3/s. The dam's reservoir has a capacity of 11.025 km³ (2.6 cu mi), of which 11 km³ (2.6 cu mi) is live (active or "useful") storage. The surface are of the reservoir is 647 square kilometre and its maximum level above sea level is 383.3 m (1,257.5 ft) and the minimum is 373.3 m (1,224.7 ft). The dam's power station has a gross hydraulic head
Hydraulic head
Hydraulic head or piezometric head is a specific measurement of water pressure above a geodetic datum. It is usually measured as a water surface elevation, expressed in units of length, at the entrance of a piezometer...
of 57 m (187 ft) and contains six 232.7 MW generators
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
powered by Francis turbine
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....
s for a total installed capacity of 1,396.2 MW.
See also
- Luiz Barreto (Estreito) DamLuiz Barreto DamThe Luiz Carlos Barreto de Carvalho Dam, formerly known as Estreito, is an embankment dam on the Grande River near Fronteira in São Paulo, Brazil. The dam serves an associated hydroelectric power plant with a 1,050 MW installed capacity.-Background:...
- Marimbondo DamMarimbondo DamThe Marimbondo Dam is an embankment dam on the Grande River near Fronteira in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The dam serves an associated hydroelectric power plant with a 1,440 MW installed capacity.-Background:...
- Furnas Dam
- List of power stations in Brazil