Item 75556 - Hydro turbine and electric generator, 1904

Item 75556 - Hydro turbine and electric generator, 1904
Contributed by Maine Historical Society
Item 75556
Hydro turbine and electric generator, 1904
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From 1904 to 1963, this generator operated at the Dennistown hydroelectric facility, located in the woods off Route 201 about seven miles from Jackman.

It used water from Crocker Pond to produce up to 100 kilowatts of electricity for customers in Jackman, Jackman Station, and Moose River.

Generating electricity using water power requires a dam on a river where there is a large drop in elevation. A water intake, or penstock, allows the water to flow through the dam from top to bottom, where it turns a propeller or turbine.

A governor controls the amount of water flowing through the system to keep the turbine spinning at a constant rate. A shaft connects the turbine to a generator, which produces electric current as it spins.

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