The Wujiangdu Dam is an
arch-gravity dam
An arch-gravity dam or arched dam is a dam with the characteristics of both an arch dam and a gravity dam. It is a dam that curves upstream in a narrowing curve that directs most of the water pressure against the canyon rock walls, providing the ...
on the
Wu River south of
Zunyi
Zunyi () is a prefecture-level city in northern Guizhou province, People's Republic of China, situated between the provincial capital Guiyang to the south and Chongqing to the north, also bordering Sichuan to the northwest. Along with Guiyang an ...
,
Guizhou Province
Guizhou (; formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked province in the southwest region of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the province. Guizhou borders the autonomous region of Guangxi to the ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. The purpose of the dam is
hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
power generation, flood control and navigation. The dam's power stations contain five generators for a total installed capacity of 1,130 MW.
Construction
Construction on the dam began in 1970, the first generator was operational in 1979 and the remaining original two in 1983. Two additional 250 MW generators were installed and operational between 2003 and 2004 and the three original 210 MW were upgraded in 2011 to 250 MW units.
Design
The dam is a tall and long arch-gravity dam withholding a reservoir of . The dam has six
spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure tha ...
s, two of which flank the power house and are ski-jump chute type while the other four are chutes as well and over-top the power house. The design discharge of the spillways is while the maximum is . The dam also has two flood discharge tunnels on each of its banks as well. Because the dam sits on a
karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
(soluble) foundation, a deep and high pressure
grout curtain
A grout curtain is a barrier that protects the foundation of a dam from seepage and can be made during initial construction or during repair. Additionally, they can be used to strengthen foundations and contain spills.
Characteristics
A grout curt ...
was applied, stretching long and deep. The dam's power station sits at its middle base and contains the original 3 x 210 MW generators. The two additional 250 MW generators were installed in another power plant.
See also
*
List of power stations in China
The following page lists some power stations in mainland China divided by energy source and location.
Coal
Nuclear
Hydroelectric
Solar
Tide
Wind
By location
The following pages list the major power stations ...
References
{{Wu River dams
Hydroelectric power stations in Guizhou
Dams in China
Arch-gravity dams
Dams completed in 1982
Dams on the Wu River
Energy infrastructure completed in 1979
1982 establishments in China