Niagara Falls

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Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is part of the Niagara River, which
transports water from Lake Erie (visible on
horizon) to Lake Ontario. There exist 3 falls
(left) American Falls with Bridal Veil Falls and
(right) Canadian (Horseshoe) Falls. They drop
about 50 meters, almost vertically, and span
about 1,000 meters total.
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American Falls
The flow over Niagara Falls is about 2,800
m3/sec. During the night, and non-tourist
seasons, about 50 of this flow is diverted for
hydroelectric power.
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Niagara River
This view shows the Niagara River 11
kilometers downstream from the falls. About
12,000 years ago, the falls were located in this
position, but erosion carved out the gorge seen
here, and the falls receded to their current
position. Hydroelectric plants are located
adjacent to this site.
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Niagara Power Project
Here we see the Canadian Beck powerhouse
(across river) and Moses powerhouse (in the
foreground). Notice the water churning out the
bottom. Water from above the falls is directed
through electric generator turbines. These are
located about 11 km downstream from falls.
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Hydroelectric Power along the Niagara River
Niagara Falls is the site of the first large
scale application of alternating current (ac)
transmission in history. In 1895, Nikola Tesla
and George Westinghouse first used their
alternating current generators here. The
following year, power was sent to Buffalo, NY, by
transmission lines. A heated debate between the
proponents of direct current (dc) , led by Thomas
Edison, and alternating current ensued, but
alternating current won because of its ability to
be transformed and transmitted over large
distances. Today, the Niagara River delivers 4.4
million kilowatts of hydroelectric power for
cities in New York and Canada.
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Sir Adam Beck Powerhouse
The Sir Adam Beck Powerhouse is shown here on the
Canadian side of the Niagara River, about 11
kilometers downstream from the falls. Water is
brought to this site from Chippawa, Ontario,
just above the falls, via a power canal and
tunnels.
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Entrance to Robert Moses Power Plant
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Entrance(2)
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Robert Moses Power Plant
This hydroelectric plant is located on the
Niagara River in Lewiston, NY, about 11 km
downstream from the falls.
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Robert Moses Power Plant (2)
The Moses Niagara Power Project is a large dam
which houses 13 turbine generators. It was
named after Robert Moses, the head of the New
York Power Authority when it was built. In 1956,
the old Schoellkopf power plant in the gorge
adjacent to the falls collapsed. The current
Moses plant was quickly built from 1958-61 to
replace the old plant. Water is brought to this
site from two large underground tunnels which
start above the falls and run under the city
of Niagara Fall, NY. There is also a 1900 acre
reservoir which supplies additional power like a
storage battery would. During the night, the
reservoir is filled by 12 pumps, and during day,
the flow is reversed and these pumps act like
generators. (Remember, a motor run in reverse can
act like a generator).
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Generator turbine
This turbine was taken out of the Moses
powerhouse after it failed due to cavitation,
small holes cut in the metal due to constant
water pressure. The new turbines they installed
are stainless steel and not subject to this flaw.
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Turbine (2)
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Typical Transformer
Here we see a typical transformer which steps
down transmission line voltages from hundreds of
kilovolts to 120 volts for household use.
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Transmission lines
In this mural we see typical transmission lines,
used for transporting electric power over large
distances. Transformers are used to step up the
voltage to hundreds of kilovolts, which then
reduces power losses along the lines.
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Typical Transmission Cable
This display shows typical transmission line
cables.
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NYPA Electric Vehicle
The New York Power Authority has
manufactured hundreds of these electric vehicles
for use by their customers.