Hydroelectric Power

[Silver Creek Slim]

The first hydroelectric power plant began operation on the Fox River in Appleton, WI on September 30, 1882.  The plant was initiated by paper manufacturer H.F. Rogers who was inspired by Tomas Edison's plans for a station in New York.  Edison's plan was for a plant that used steam to power its generators whereas the plant in Appleton used the natural energy of the Fox River to produce electricity.

Slim

[Danny Bear Claw]

Very interesting.  I would have thought that hydro-electricity was technology more recent than 1882.  Thanks for sharing that with us Slim.   

[Delmonico]

The Edison system used DC currant and the user had to be close to the generator.  About this time Tesala (sp) came up with the AC currant that could be stepped up by transformers and sent over long distance where it was stepped back down  Edison fought it because he did not hold the patents on it.  He claimed it was dangerous and accually invented the Electric Chair about 1885-86 to prove it was deadly. New York State adopted it in I think 1888.

We all know though that AC won out in the currant race.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Tesla may have "discovered" AC current, but Mr. Westinghouse was the guy whose system of AC beat Edison's.  Primarily because the house/business had to be fairly close to the DC generating station.

Edison was right:  I think we ALL know how dangerous electricity can be.  Sometime ask me how dangerous 24V DC with 1500 + amps can be!

[Delmonico]

Nikla Tesla invented the technology we still use, George Westinghouse financed it and Thomas Edison fought it tell it took completly over and then he had no choice but to embrace it.

[Four-Eyed Buck]

Yeah, it's not the volts that get ya, it's the amperage........Buck

[Dr. Bob]

Howdy Slim,

Thanks for sharing this.  I didn't think that AC power went back this far either.  I once owned a house here in KC that was built in 1913 which had gas light outlets as well as electrical wiring as original equipment. 

Del & SHB, thank you for the info on Tesla and Westinghouse.   

[Delmonico]

Dr. Bob, if the power plant run on steam instead of hydro, like a lot in this area, the plant often shut down about 10 pm and didn't come back online till about 6 am.  The demand wasn't enough to be worth running it all night.  Often also they were not run on Sunday because demand was low.

[Dr. Bob]

Del,

Just another reason to be happy that we live today.  No witty repartee on Sunday cause of no electricity.   "Sides, I don't like going out in the cold to bring in wood for the stove!   Oh, don't forget the wonderful state of medicine in the 19th Century!  I'm real happy living in the 21st Century.  Love my creature comforts.

[El Peludo]

The company I worked for had many streamflow units, still online, and many dating from the very early twentieth century.  I believe a few may still be in use, but since "de-regulation", the company had to sell off all of it's generation because of the conflict of interest, and the purchasers found that the things were too costly to operate as prime generation units, so shut them down, and most likely, scrapped them; I can't be sure, because that all came about after I retired..  Parts were almost nonexistent, though, except for the stock that came from owning and operating them since their origin.

A related anecdote:  In 1968, my crew retired the last remaining 480 volt Primary commercial distribution system still in operation in our service area, and converted service to 12KV primary.  This system had been in service since 191?.  These types of systems were very common in the early days of AC distribution.

[Calamity Jane]

Little town (Fredricksberg) near whar I growed up had a hydro-electric  plant built 'bout 1890-sommit. Waz built by a few local merchants fer their business. They sold power to the town. Because it was an early A.C. plant, it run on 25 cycles per second. Town stayed on 25 Hz until the late 1950s eventhough the dam kept washing out and the plant waz abandoned after the 3rd rebuild.

Neither Tesla nor Edison "invented" AC or DC - both were well known and a bunch of inventors were trying to figure out what to do with electricity.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

CJ, I reckon yer right about them inventors.  I guess it would be more proper to say they they NAMED the stuff (NOT invented) and were the first sucessful developers.