Hounslow power station
CountryEngland
LocationHounslow London
Coordinates51°28′10″N 00°20′53″W / 51.46944°N 0.34806°W / 51.46944; -0.34806
StatusDecommissioned and demolished
Construction began1900
Commission date1904
Decommission date1964
Owner(s)Heston and Isleworth Borough Council
(1900–1948)
British Electricity Authority
(1948–1955)
Central Electricity Authority (1955–1957)
Central Electricity Generating Board
(1958–1964)
Operator(s)As owner
Thermal power station
Primary fuelCoal
Secondary fuelDiesel
Turbine technologySteam turbines, diesel engines
Cooling sourcewater from well, spray pond
Power generation
Units operational1 x 1 MW, 1 x 1.35 MW, 2 x 0.9 MW
Make and modelBrush Ljungstrom, General Motors
Nameplate capacity4.15MW
Annual net output2327 kW (1920)

Hounslow power station generated and supplied electricity to the district of Hounslow, Heston and Isleworth in west London from 1904 to 1964. Originally steam powered, diesel engine generators were added in the 1950s.The station was owned and operated by Heston and Isleworth Borough Council until the nationalisation of the electricity industry in 1948. The power station was redeveloped as demand for electricity grew and old plant was replaced until its closure in 1964.

History

In 1900 Heston and Isleworth Urban District Council applied for a Provisional Order under the Electric Lighting Acts to generate and supply electricity to the district. This was granted by the Board of Trade and was confirmed by Parliament through the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 12) Act 1900 (63 & 64 Vict. c. clxx).[1] The Council built a generating station in Bridge Street, Hounslow (51°28'10"N 0°20'53"W)[2] known as Hounslow power station. It was first commissioned in November 1904.[3]

The station continued to generate electricity for the Council until the nationalisation of the British electricity industry in 1948.[4] The Heston and Isleworth electricity undertaking was abolished, ownership of the power station was vested in the British Electricity Authority, and subsequently the Central Electricity Authority and the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB).[5] At the same time the electricity distribution and sales responsibilities of the Council’s electricity undertaking was transferred to the Southern Electricity Board (SEB). The station was decommissioned in 1964.[3]

Equipment specification

By 1923 the generating plant comprised:[6]

  • Boilers generating 42,500 lb/h (5.35 kg/s) of steam, this was supplied to:
  • Generators
    • 2 × 125 kW reciprocating engine generators
    • 2 × 250 kW reciprocating engine generators
    • 1 × 500 kW reciprocating engine generator

These machines gave a total generating capacity of 1,250 kW of direct current.[6]

Electricity supplies to consumers were at 480 & 240 Volt DC.

The plant in 1958 comprised:[7]

  • Boilers:
    • 3 × Babcock & Wilcox 12,500 lb/h (1.57 kg/s) boilers with chain grate stokers, operating at 200 psi and 550 °F (13.8 bar and 288 °C) and feeding steam to two generating sets:
  • Generating sets
  • The total installed generating capacity was 4.15 MW, with an output capacity of 3 MW.[7]

Condenser cooling water was drawn from a well, there was also a spray pond.

Operations

Summary operating data for Hounslow power station:[8][9][10][11][6][12]

Operating data for Hounslow power station 1912–46
Year Plant generating capacity kW Max load kW Connection on system kW Electricity generated MWh Load factor per cent No. of customers
1912/13 750 498 760 1,093 – 954
1918/19 1,380 1,067 – 1,848 20.4 –
1919/20 – – – 2,327 19.7 –
1921 1,250 1,210 3,440 2,234 23.2 –
1922 1,250 1,311 3,991 2,186 23.1 –
1923 1,250 1,365 3,904 2,210 24.4 –
1923/24 1,250 1,422 4,204 2,181 20.0 2,109
1936/37 2,100 14,395 85,384 747 40.7 23,993
1946 – 3,360 – 1,500 – –

The use of electricity in the period 1921–23 was:[6]

Heston and Isleworth undertaking electricity use 1921–23
Electricity Use Units Year
1921 1922 1923
Lighting and domestic MWh 393 679 751
Public lighting MWh 121 148 171
Traction MWh 0 0 0
Power MWh 1,507 1,357 1,444
Total use MWh 2,021 2,184 2,367

Operating data 1954–63

Operating data for Hounslow power station:[7][13]

Hounslow power station operating data, 1954–63
Year Running hours Load factor per cent Max output capacity  MW Electricity supplied MWh Thermal efficiency per cent
Steam plant
1954 282 – 2 452 6.76
1955 428 – 2 752 8.10
1956 298 – 2 491 7.85
1957 151 – 2 248 6.48
1958 298 – 2 564 7.95
1961 – 0.7 1 61 8.70
1962 – 0.4 1 37 6.16
1963 – – – – –
Diesel plant
1954 323 87.5 1.8 509 –
1955 423 88.9 1.8 677 –
1956 242 79.9 1.8 348 –
1957 54 67.9 1.8 66 –
1958 342 92.8 1.8 571 –
1961 – 3.7 2 586 29.89
1962 – 3.6 2 560 30.14
1963 – 8.43 2 1,476 30.57

The electricity output, in MWh, from the Hounslow power station is shown graphically.

Closure

The steam plant was decommissioned in 1963 and the rest of Hounslow power station was closed in 1964.[3] The site is currently (2020) an electricity substation.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Local Acts 1900". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  2. ↑ Ordnance Survey 25-inch map Middlesex XX.7 (Heston and Isleworth), revised 1935, published 1936
  3. 1 2 3 "London area power supply" (PDF). metadyne. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  4. ↑ "Electricity Act 1947". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  5. ↑ Electricity Council (1987). Electricity supply in the United Kingdom: a Chronology. London: Electricity Council. pp. 45, 60, 69, 73. ISBN 085188105X.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Electricity Commissioners (1925). Electricity Supply – 1920–23. London: HMSO. pp. 42–45, 284–89.
  7. 1 2 3 Garrett, Frederick (1959). Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56. London: Electrical Press. pp. A-64 A-123 A-142.
  8. ↑ London County Council (1915). London Statistics 1913–14 vol. XXIV. London: London County Council.
  9. ↑ London County Council (1922). London County Council London Statistics 1920–21 vol. XXVII. London: London County Council.
  10. ↑ London County Council (1926). London Statistics 1924–25 vol. 30. London: London County Council.
  11. ↑ London County Council (1939). London County Council London Statistics 1936–37 vol. 41. London: London County Council.
  12. ↑ Electricity Commissioners (1947). Generation of Electricity in Great Britain year ended 31 December 1946. London: HMSO. p. 6.
  13. ↑ CEGB Annual report and Accounts, 1961, 1962 & 1963
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.