The Pardubice Hydropower Plant

Pardubice hydropower plant was the first plant with a large horizontal turbo-generating set designed and built in the then CSSR and put into operation in 1978.

Pardubice hydropower plant was the first plant with a large horizontal turbo-generating set designed and built in the then CSSR and put into operation in 1978. There is a Kaplan bent turbine with a fixed guide wheel and an action wheel with the diameter of 3.6 m. Uncommonly, the turbine uses its overspeed device as operational. There is an outdoor type of HV distribution point.

The technical conception produced a number of minor and also serious defects over the years after it had been put into operation. Operational reliability was not significantly improved until the comprehensive transformation of the electro part into an indoor type in the building, alteration of the overspeed device, lubrication of turbo-generating set shafts and cooling technology was carried out between 1998 and 2001. Despite that, the design maximum usable flow of  64 m3/s and the installed capacity of 1960 kW are unattainable and the average efficiency of the turbo-generator does not exceed 65 %. The maximum usable flow is at the level of 51 m3/s and the plant´s output fluctuates  around 1250 kW.