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Show GRAND COULEE DAM TAKES PLACE WITH WORLD'S LARGEST , Grand Coulee Dam took its place among the world's greatest great-est powers producers this week when installed capacity was increased in-creased t o 344,000 kilowatts through the addition of a third main generator, John C. Page, the largest hydro-electric dynamos dyna-mos ever built. . "In the short period of six months Grand Coulee Dam has become a main cog in the war production of the Pacific Northwest, North-west, Mr. Page said. "Three great generators have been put in operation since early October 1941. Now dedicated to war. they will later be just as important import-ant in peace. The basic industries using their energy may bo expected ex-pected to contribute to the prosperity pros-perity of the West long after victory." During 1941 one-third oc the total new generating capacity added ad-ded in the 11 western states was provided by Grand Coulee Dam power plant. This year the installation in-stallation in this area is expected expect-ed to be increased by 5?5,000 kilowatts. Grand Coulee's power set weighs 1,750 tons, equivalent to that of three of the world's largest locomotives. The ultimate installation, 18 units, Will weigh as much as a large battleship. Three hundred miles of copper wire form the windings and more than 200miles of tape in the insulation. in-sulation. The generators are being housed hous-ed in a concrete building two city blocks long . and 20 ftories high. A separate high voltage transmission line must be provided provid-ed for each machine, so large is its output. Ultimately 18 of these circuits will leave the dam site for all parts of the Pacific North west. Completion of the third generator gen-erator fulfills a contract the Bureau Bu-reau of Reclamation awarded in the fall of 1938. Orders f.r six other machines of like size have Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, Re-clamation, reported to the Secretary Sec-retary of the Interior, Harcld L. Ickes. The capacity being made available avail-able will exceed that of such large installations as found at the Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna Sus-quehanna River in Maryland, at the Wilson Dam (formerly known as Muscle Shoals) and other structures of the Tennessee Valley Val-ley Authority, at the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia, and in. plants at Niagara Falls. It is about half the former output of the now inactive Dniep- er Dam in Russia, or of the very active Boulder Dam plant on the Colorado River. Although the capacity of the installed equipment equip-ment ready to go to work at Coulee Dam now is surj.asssed in but a few power plants, the ultimate capacity at Grand Coulee Cou-lee Dam will be six times as great when completely instaled. War industries including existing ex-isting aluminum plants and additional ad-ditional aluminum production fa been placed, with installation scheduled to be completed in 1944. A second powerhouse is being erected to hold the dam's second set of nine generators. The Bonneville Power Administration, Admin-istration, distributing agency for Grand Coulee Dam's record load of electricity, has one 20,000-volt 20,000-volt circuit between Grand Coulee and Bonnevile dams in operation. It is building another line of like size between these two points, a plant will deliver 36 percent of the total. The output of the three hydro giants requires translation into layman's language to be appreciated. appre-ciated. They can supply in one month the estimated 220,000,000 kilowatt-hours required in many processes that go into the construction con-struction of a single $80,000,000 battleship, or a giant bomber. To build a four-motored bomber requires a theoretical 637,000 kil- cilities now being constructed will take practically all of Grand Coulee Dam's present output, which is marketed by the Bonneville Bonne-ville Power Administration. Two 10,000-kilowatt generators served some of these plants for six months, later being replaced by two 108,000-kilowatt machines, 230,000-volt line between the dam and the Puget Sound area, ind two 135,000-volt lines between the dam and Spokane. In addition to the circuits built or under construction, it is planned plan-ned to erect two additional lines of 230,000-volt circuits from the dam to the Puget Sound region. owatt-hours. Grand Coulee dynamos dyna-mos can turn out the power to make such a huge bomber every hours - - 12 per day, more tnan 4,000 per year. Transportation of parts for the units from the factories in the East to the dam site required a train of about 130 cars. Each |