COMMISSION INTERNATIONALE
DES GRANDS BARRAGES
------ème
LA 78 REUNION ANNUELLE
DE LA CIGB
Hanoï, Vietnam en mai 2010.
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TRANSPOSITION SYSTEM OF UPSTREAM-DOWNSTREAM WATER LEVEL
DIFFERENCE CREATED BY THE DAM AND TUCURUÍ HYDROELECTRIC
POWER PLANT CONSTRUCTED AT THE TOCANTINS RIVER-BRAZIL(*)
Waldo FERRAZ COSTA NETO
Project Manager, CENTRAIS ELÉTRICAS DO NORTE DO BRASIL
BRAZIL
William ZOLCSAK
Senior Engineer, CENTRAIS ELÉTRICAS DO NORTE DO BRASIL
BRAZIL
1. INTRODUCTION
The Tucuruí HPP is the second large Brazilian Dam, with an installed
capacity of 8.370 Mw. It is located on the Tocantins River, approximately 300 km
upstream from its estuary at 3º 45' south latitude and 49° 41' of longitude west.
Tocantins River drainage basin has
It represents one of the largest HPP built in the world in the tropics, within
an environment characterized by a hot and rainy climate with the absence of a
dry season, The monthly highest temperatures vary between 32ºC and 36ºC, and
the lowest temperatures vary between 18ºC and 22ºC and the average monthly
relative humidity varies between 88% and 94%.
(*) Le système de transposition de la différence de niveau d’ámont et d’ával, créée par la
barrage et la Usine Hydroélectrique de Tucuruí construit dans le fleuve de Tocantins au
Brésil .
DAM’S DESCRIPTION
2.
Tucuruí is a composite earth-concrete water retaining structure, with an of
extension of 11 km, dams maximum height of 78 meters and a discharge of the
spillway of 110.000 cubic meters per second, a flooded area of 2430 km2 with
1.600 islands and installed capacity of 8.370 MW (Fig 1).
Fig. 1
Tucuruí Hydroelectric Power Plant
Usine d’ Énergie Hydroélectrique de Tucuruí
3.
Fluvial navigation
Tocantins River presents the characteristics of a potential navigable
waterway in the mode of several worlds’ large watercourses such as MississippiMissouri, Yangtze, Mekong, Volga or Rhine Rivers (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2
Brazilian Hydroways
Brésilienne voies fluviales
Tocantins-Araguaia River has a 2000 km long navigable stretch of his
course between the localities of Barra de Garças (Goiás/Mato Grosso) to
Barcarena (Pará).
Fluvial navigation as transportation mode and fishery are traditional
activities and practices exerted by the close local riverain habitants.
In the recent years an intense aluminum mine exploration activity was
introduced with the correspondent need of an efficient and cheap fluvial
navigation system.
With this purpose two navigational locks were inserted in the dam lay-out,
allowing the transposition of the 72 m high water level difference created by the
Tucuruí dam.
4.
LOCKS TRANSPORT CAPACITY
Large transport capacity is obtained by the composite pushed tow practice
including a set of interconnected barges and a powered push boat, the maximum
draft of vessels is 3.50 m (Fig. 3).
A complete transposition operation takes about 90 minutes, therefore it is
possible to make 16 operations per day. The maximum load transportation
capacity per year is about 60 x 106 t/year in each way of the stream.
Fig. 3
Set of Interconnected Barges and a Powered Push Boat
Ensemble de Barges interconnectée et une poussée Powered Boat
The Waterway interconnection with railway and highways and vicinal roads
and with the maritime ports systems can be seen in the Fig. 4.
Fig. 4
Waterway interconnection with railway and highways
Interconnexion de la voie navigable avec des chemins de fer et autoroutes
5.
WATER LEVEL TRANSPOSITION SYSTEM
The transposition system include 2 vertical transposition devices
represented by usual lock chambers gravity structures and a navigation channel
acting beside a waterway as an intermediary storage reservoir, inserted between
them (Fig. 5).
Fig. 5
Lay-out of the transposition System
Lay-out du système de transposition
The locks chambers of very large size (jumbo size) were designed and
constructed with 210 m length and 33 m width dimensions placed 6 km distant.
Fig. 6
Upstream view of the Lock 1
Vue en amont de l'écluse n ° 1
Fig. 7
Downstream view of the Lock 1
Vue descendant de l’ecluse nº 1
View of the Lock 2
Vue de l’ecluse nº 2
Both lifting structures are placed on the left bank of the Tocantins River
close to the powerhouse and in the neighborhood of the town of Tucuruí.
6.
CONCLUSIONS
To the exploitation of the Tucuruí Reservoir was developed this
transposition system, witch goal is to make possible the navigation in this part of
the waterway, interrupted by the dam building.
The Tocantins River has an extension of 2500 km and its basin is 767.000
km2 (Fig. 9). It flows in an area rich in minerals and farming (cattle, soybean,
sugar cane …). This waterway may stimulate the economy in this region with a
low cost transportation and energy saving.
Fig. 9
Tocantins’ River Basin
Tocantins hydrographique
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank the support given by:

Departamento Nacional de Infraestrutura de Transportes;

Centrais Elétricas do Norte do Brasil;

Engecorps Engenheiros Consultores;

CBDB-Goias/Distrito Federal Regional Office.
REFERENCES
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
Memória Técnica da Usina Hidrelétrica de Tucuruí, Brasília 1989 ISBN
85-85212-10-1.
PORTOBRÁS/THEMAG-ENGEVIX – Eclusas de Tucuruí – Projeto
Básico. São Paulo – mai.1981 -5V.
Projeto Básico das Eclusas de Tucuruí, ENGECORPS Engenheiros
Consultores - doc 245-AIM-TUC-MD-B011.
Projeto Executivo das Eclusas de Tucuruí, Ministério dos Transportes –
doc 46-MT-OUT-RT-E-01A-048 08/12/1998.
ELETRONORTE Web Site (www.eln.gov.br) November, 2009.
DNIT Web Site (www.dnit.gov.br) November, 2009.
AHIMOR Web Site (www.ahimor.gov.br) November, 2009
SUMMARY
An optimum water resources exploitation of the Tucuruí Dam and Reservoir
includes an upstream-downstream level difference transposition system. The
planned and constructed locks allow by exerting Tocantins waterway navigation
and to exploit a low cost and energy saving mode of transportation. The
transposition system will bring large social and economic benefits to all Tocantins
river basin’s (area with 767.000 km2) population
La exploitation optima du barrage et de réservoir de Tucuruí, comprise un
système de transposition de niveau d’ámont et d’ávale. Les ecluses projetees et
construites permet excerce la navigation dans la voie d'eau de Tocantins, a un
prix réduit et une manière économique d'énergie de cette classe du transport.
Les système de transposition apportera un grand avantage social et économique
a tous la population du bassin de Tocantins (avec 767.000 km2 de superfice).