Power house: valves controlling water to second of two alternators supplying electricity to the works

Description Power house: valves controlling water to second of two alternators supplying electricity to the works

Date 9/4/1991

Catalogue Number B 13386

Category Photographs and Off-line Digital Images

Copies SC 716953

Scope and Content Valves for alternator in the power house, Aluminium Works, Kinlochleven, Highland The aluminium works at Kinlochleven was built between 1904 and 1909 by the British Aluminium Company Limited. By 1911 the works were producing about 7,112 tonnes of aluminium per annum which was around 87% of the total output of the company at that time. The works closed in June 2000. This shows two valves which controlled the water flow to one of the two alternators in the power house. The amount of water which flowed to the alternator depended on how open the valves (doors) were. The energy of the water was harnessed by a turbine and used by the alternator to produce alternating electric current which was used throughout the works. The manufacturing of aluminium requires a lot of energy and hydro-electric power is ideally suited because it is cheap and renewable. Direct electric current (DC) flows in one direction whereas alternating electric current (AC) flows back and forward between points. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

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