Aswan Low Dam

Coordinates: 24°02′02″N 32°51′57″E / 24.03389°N 32.86583°E / 24.03389; 32.86583
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the higher Aswan Dam completed upstream in 1970, see Aswan Dam.
Aswan Low Dam
Kaplan-type
Aswan II: 4 x 67.5 MW (90,500 hp) Kaplan-type
Installed capacity592 MW (794,000 hp) (Aswan I, II)

The Aswan Low Dam or Old Aswan Dam is a gravity

Nile River in Aswan, Egypt. The dam was built by the British at the former first cataract of the Nile, and is located about 1000 km up-river and 690 km (direct distance) south-southeast of Cairo. When initially constructed between 1899 and 1902, nothing of its scale had ever been attempted; on completion, it was the largest masonry dam in the world. The dam was designed to provide storage of annual floodwater and augment dry season flows to support greater irrigation development[1] and population growth in the lower Nile. The dam, originally limited in height by conservation concerns, worked as designed, but provided inadequate storage capacity for planned development and was raised twice: between 1907 and 1912 and again between 1929 and 1933. These heightenings still did not meet irrigation demands and in 1946 it was nearly over-topped in an effort to maximize pool elevation. This led to the investigation and construction of the Aswan High Dam 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) upstream.[2]

Background

The earliest recorded attempt to build a dam near Aswan was in the 11th century, when the

field work convinced him of the impracticality of this scheme,[4] and fearing the Caliph's anger, he feigned madness. He was kept under house arrest from 1011 until al-Hakim's death in 1021, during which time he wrote his influential Book of Optics
.

Construction

Constructing the dam at Aswan was known to result in the flooding of Philae.

John Aird, whose firm, John Aird & Co., was the main contractor.[6][7] Capital and financing were furnished by Ernest Cassel.[8]

The Old Aswan Dam was designed as a

navigation lock of similar construction on the western bank, which allowed shipping to pass upstream as far as the second cataract, whereas a portage overland was previously required. At the time of its construction, nothing of such scale had ever been attempted.[10]

Heightening

Initial limitations were imposed on the dam's height, due to concern for the

Murdoch MacDonald.[11]

With its final raising (designed and supervised by MacDonald's firm, Sir M MacDonald & Partners),[11] the dam is 1,950 metres (6,400 ft) in length, with a crest level 36 metres (118 ft) above the original riverbed;[9] the dam provides the main route for traffic between the city and the airport. With the construction of the High Dam upstream, the Old Dam's ability to pass the flood's sediments was lost, as was the serviceability provided by the locks. The previous Old Dam reservoir level was also lowered and now provides control of tailwater for the High Dam.

Power plants

The Aswan Low Dam supports two

hydroelectric power plants, Aswan I (1960) and Aswan II (1985–1986). Aswan I contains 7 X 40 megawatts (54,000 hp) generators with Kaplan turbines for a combined capacity of 280 megawatts (380,000 hp) and is located west of the dam. Aswan II contains 4 x 67.5 megawatts (90,500 hp) generators for an installed capacity of 270 megawatts (360,000 hp) and is located at the toe of the dam.[12]

See also

Further reading

References

Media related to Aswan Low Dam at Wikimedia Commons

  1. ^ Power from the Assuan Dam to Be Used to Increase Still Further the Cotton Crop in Egypt, The New York Times, July 27, 1913, (pdf file)
  2. ^ "The First Aswan Dam". University of Michigan. Archived from the original on 15 June 1997. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
  3. PMID 12161634
  4. ISBN 978-0710304162
  5. ISSN 0275-7206
    .
  6. ^ Egypt bond Archived May 13, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  7. The World's Work: A History of Our Time
    , V: 2861–2870, retrieved 2009-07-10
  8. Jewish Encyclopedia
    c. 1906
  9. ^ a b V. Novokshshenov, Laboratory studies of the stone masonry in the Old Aswan Dam Archived August 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Materials and Structures 1993, Vol. 26, pp. 103–110
  10. Century Magazine
    , Vol. 57, No. 4 (February 1899)
  11. ^ a b Grace's Guide (1952) Murdoch MacDonald obituary. Accessed: 4 January 2014.
  12. ^ "Aswan Dam (1,2) Electric Hydro Power Plant". Egypt Ministry of Energy and Electricity. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
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