The Imaichi Dam (今市ダム) is a concrete
gravity dam on the
Togawa River located west of
Nikkō
is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 80,239 in 36,531 households, and a population density of 55 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . It is a popular destination for Japanese and ...
in
Tochigi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Tochigi Prefecture has a population of 1,943,886 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,408 km2 (2,474 sq mi). Tochigi Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the ...
, Japan.
The dam serves as the lower reservoir for the
Imaichi Pumped Storage Power Station, while the
Kuriyama Dam forms the upper.
It is owned by
TEPCO
, also known as or TEPCO, is a Japanese electric utility holding company servicing Japan's Kantō region, Yamanashi Prefecture, and the eastern portion of Shizuoka Prefecture. This area includes Tokyo. Its headquarters are located in Uchi ...
and was constructed between 1979 and 1986.
The reservoir can store of water. Of that storage volume, can be used for power generation.
Imaichi Pumped Storage Power Station
The power plant operates using the
pumped storage
Pumping may refer to:
* The operation of a pump, for moving a liquid from one location to another
**The use of a breast pump for extraction of milk
* Pumping (audio), a creative misuse of dynamic range compression
* Pumping (computer systems), th ...
hydroelectric method. During periods of high electricity demand, water is sent from the upper Kuriyama Reservoir to the power plant which contains 3 x
Francis pump turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts. Francis turbines are the most common water turbine in use today, and can achieve over 95% efficiency.
The proc ...
s. Water discharged from the power plant then enters the Imaichi Reservoir. When demand is low, the pump-generators reverse mode and pump water from the lower reservoir back up to the upper. The process repeats as needed.
See also
*
List of dams and reservoirs in Japan
As a nation of islands and narrow, steep valleys, dams play a vital role in Japanese society as they are constructed primarily to control floods, supply water and generate hydroelectric power. The tallest dam in Japan is the high Kurobe Dam. T ...
References
{{Dams in Tochigi Prefecture
Dams completed in 1986
Dams in Tochigi Prefecture
Gravity dams