The turbine can be operated in parallel with the main trans mission lines of the company or separately on the Oakland load. The arrangement of the plant is such that extension can be made in the future without in any way- interrupting the service. The efficiency of the turbines either when floating on the line and used for voltage regulation or in giving assistance to the transmission lines has been fully demonstrated. Their ability to quickly take a load in cases of emergency renders them invaluable when viewed from the standpoint of auxiliaries to the hydro-electric system.
The steam-gedrating station of 5,000 kilowatt capacity at Sacramento is connected with the transmission lines from Col gate, Alto, and Folsom systems as well as the main transmission line from Oakland. With its installation of 5,000 kilowatts, this plant is capable of carrying the full Sacramento district load. In normal operation a machine is kept floating on the line, using a minimum amount of steam, but with enough boilers under steam to respond instantly to emergency calls. Although designed as a stand-by or auxiliary, the fact that all the hydro-electric stations are taxed to the full capacity will put the steam plant in constant commission as a generating station.
The building has a structural steel frame, with walls, floors and roof of reinforced concrete. The building is L-shaped, hav ing a total length of 156 feet, width 100 feet at the generation end, and 71 feet at the boiler end of the building. The boiler room is one story high, the height to the roof being 40 feet above the first floor level.
The boiler room is large and well lighted and airy. The light is from above a glass-covered monitor or weather-board Three batteries composed of two Sterling boilers each are in stalled with room for an additional battery. The boilers are of the water tube type, each containing 600 tubes, three -42-inch drums and one 18-inch.mud drum. Each boiler is rated at 822 horsepower. The high steam pipes are designed for 200 pounds steam pressure with 125 degrees superheat. Each battery of boilers supports one smoke stack 7. feet 6 inches in
diameter, mounted on breeching. These stacks stand 100 feet above the floor and 60,feet above the roof.
The fuel oil is fed through Peabody back shot burners, three to each boiler. Fuel oil pumps are of the Worthington duplex type. Provision is made to carry a full month's supply of oil for fuel. Storage tanks are placed on the extreme end of the property, about 450 feet east of the building. These are two riveted steel tanks, the capacity of each being 10,000 barrels. The tanks are about 50 feet in diameter and 30 feet high. The tank walls and top are supported inside by timber bracing to prevent the tank collapsing when empty in a high wind. Each tank is supported on a reinforced concrete pad 30 inches deep and about 50 feet in diameter. A reinforced concrete retaining wall 12 feet high and 95 feet in diameter surrounds each tank. This is a safety precaution to hold the oil in case of a fire or of the tank's failing. The capacity of the concrete retainer is made equal to that of the Oil is brought to the tanks through 8-inch standard screw piping. Provision is made for the delivery of oil from barges on the river or from cars. On- the oil wharf there is an oil mani fold with four 6-inch connections. Along the spur railroad which runs in front of the building is a car manifold with four 4-inch connections. The service oil is brought to the building through an 8-inch pipe line encased in sawdust with a 2-inch steam line to heat the oil. Just outside the south end of the boiler room are two rectangular oil service tanks of 200 barrels capacity each. These are encased in reinforced concrete. They are placed below the ground level and are accessible through manholes.
Table 22 gives an evaporative test made at the Redondo plant of the Pacific Light and Power Company. The data are given through the courtesy of the Hammel Oil Burner Company. The test was made on a 604-horsepower Babcock and Wilcox boiler equipped with Hammel Patent Furnace and Oil Burners, the boiler being in regular service and under the usual plant operating conditions.