For nearly 60 years this turbine helped make power at Bonneville Dam. Throughout these years it has meant different things to different people at different times. During installation, it meant jobs to help people recover from the Great Depression. A few years later, it helped provide power to build aircraft and ships for World War II. After the war it helped the Northwest economy grow and prosper. This turbine was from Unit 3. While running, it continuously helped generate power for about 25,000 homes.
Fascinating facts: In service date: 9 January 1941; Out of service for replacement: 24 July 2000; Years in service: 59.5; Rotating speed: 75 revolutions per minute; Lifetime electrical generation: 22,159,657,000-kilowatts hours; Value at $12 a megawatt hour (wholesale): $265,915,884; Water used for generation: 96,000 gallons a second; Weight: 123 tons; Horsepower: 74,000; Manufacturer: S. Morgan Smith.
Outer edges of this turbine moved 663,600 feet an hour. At an average time in service of 7,900 hours a year, they traveled over 59 million miles, more than 100 round trips to the moon.
(Inscription under the photo in the center) Assembling turbine for unit 4, May 29, 1940.
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