Summit Hydropower, Inc.

Wyre Wynd Hydro
Jewett City, Connecticut

The Wyre Wynd facility was originally built Circa 1913 and retired in 1955 after sustaining flood damage. In 1983 the Wyre Wynd Company built a new powerhouse and installed new equipment. In 1997 SHI bought the site and since that date has performed major improvements, repairs and upgrades which have made the project more reliable, more efficient, more environmentally friendly, and easier to operate.

This work included installation of tailgate gantry system, replacement of blade seals with improved design, upgrade of Allen Bradley PLC, rewriting PLC program for more efficient operation, switchgear re-design, replacement of switchgear relays, installation of additional protective devices, installation of trash rake system, flashboard replacement, dewatering pump installation, design and installation of trash conveyor system and replacement of trash racks.

Current ongoing work at the site includes installation of indoor and outdoor cameras, fisheries protection devices, new CAD drawings and automation of trash rake.

Recent major maintenance involved the replacement of the stub shaft. The project was taken off line to do normal maintenance of replacing upstream seals and bearing. Removal of the bearing housing exposed the stub shaft which has not been visible since the last time the seals and bearing were replaced in 1996. Immediately evident were deep visible cracks in the radius area of the shaft. This required the relatively large job of replacing the stub shaft. The stub shaft replacement job was performed by Summit Hydropower and Lee Mechanical, Inc. Regarding the method of manufacturing the new shaft Summit decided to install a forged rather than a welded shaft (the original shaft was a weldment) due to the superior strength of a forging. The job was completed and the project put back on line 2/8/14. Cost was about $200,000. While the project was off line Summit performed several improvements including draft tube blast and epoxy coat, replace wicket gate bearings and seals, replacing quad seals and update the project computer program. In many respects the project has been improved such that it is of higher quality and more reliable than when it was originally built in 1984.

Wyre Wynd consists of two generating units: An Allis Chalmers double regulated 138.5 RPM Kaplan turbine directly connected to a 2,700 kW Siemens synchronous generator plus an Allis Chalmers 514 RPM propeller turbine belt connected to an 80 kW 900 RPM induction generator. Wyre Wynd has a total installed capacity of 2,780 kW and produces an average of 10,100,000 kWh of electricity per year, enough for about 2,000 households and enough to avoid the importation and burning of about 17,000 barrels of oil per year.

Photos of Wyre Wynd Site
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Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Adam installing hub after rehabilitation Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	New turbine bearing and half of oil sump installed. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Original stub shaft that was replaced due to cracks visible in radius area. Flange diameter = 4'. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Water fairing was cut and modified to make it detachable so that hub could be moved upstream six additional inches to allow hub removal Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Draft tube and shaft looking upstream after sand blast and 4 coats of Belzona immersion epoxy Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Gary Lee of Lee Mechanical, Inc. making adjustments during spherical bearing install. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Donny applying torque to shaft bolts Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Donny and Adam installing seal carrier Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Bob and Chris working on wicket gates. Think of them as a radial Venetian blind. They control water flow to the turbine. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Refurbished seal carrier with new seals Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Runner hub after refurbishment with new stub shaft Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Bearing/seal carrier housing showing new stainless drain piping Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Duncan installing a (voluntary) fish protection device in draft tube Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	View of runner hub before removal for stub shaft replacement job, October 2013. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Runner hub and cracked stub shaft being removed Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Runner being hoisted out of powerhouse. End of stub shaft shows the blade operating shaft which moves longitudinally to adjust pitch of the runner blades. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Runner hub being placed on cribbing in yard. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Wicket gate outer trunnion housings fitted with new seals and spherical bearings ready to be reinstalled Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Application of Belzona 1121 Super XL-Metal and 1341 Supermetalglide on cavitated area immediately downstream of runner Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Refurbishing Jewett City mini turbine in Rawson Mfg. shop in Putnam, CT, February 2006. Black lab "Truffel" inserted for scale purposes only. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Workshop inside powerhouse Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Interfacing for datalogger and PLC programming. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Allis Chalmers Kaplan turbine Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Siemens synchronous generator Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Mini turbine/generator providing minimum flow requirement Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Disassembly of Jewett City turbine servo piston to replace aged o-rings Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Forebay showing trash racks and trash rake system Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Trash rack support beams were water blasted (250,000 psi), sand blasted, epoxy primer, 3 coats epoxy topcoat. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	New galvanized trash racks being hoisted into place after removal of old corroded racks. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	SHI employee Bob shows newly installed first trash rack panel with access hatch removed. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	New trash racks in position, trash rake is near bottom position, access man hole visible. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	SHI employee Bob services mini unit head gate. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	New galvanized trash racks moving into position assisted by SHI owner Duncan. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	new trash rack/trash rake/conveyor system installed by SHI. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Blasting and epoxy coating turbine throat ring and wicket gates. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Switchgear with new Beckwith protective relays. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Tailrace showing tailgate gantry system. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Intake showing trash racks. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	SHI designed oil pump/filter system. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Servo piston which controls blade movement. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	SHI designed regenerative blower system which eliminates seal leakage. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Bedrock excavation for powerhouse construction circa 1983. Man inserted for scale purposes only. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Powerhouse construction illustration extensive rebar reinforcement and generator pit. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Powerhouse construction showing draft tube fabrication. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Typical engineering drawing showing upstream bearing design. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Wicket gate hydraulic actuator and control ring. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Interior of powerhouse looking upstream. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	500+ page logbook contains entries of notes for every maintenance/repair task performed. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Two 7HP dewatering pumps and control system designed and installed by SHI. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	SHI owner Duncan redesigned switchgear control system and eliminated half of the relays. Return to Top
Click photo to enlarge, use back button to return to page	Forebay, five 10-foot X 10-foot head gates, and 333 acre impoundment. Return to Top

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