The Design of a Hydro-Electric Plant on the Tennessee River

This proposed water power development is located at the junction of the French Broad and Holston rivers, About three miles east of Knoxville, these two rivers unite to form the Tennessee, Several hundred yards below the junction it is proposed to build a dam across the stream, thus utilizing the flow of both the Holston and French Broad rivers for the production of power.

It is expected that the power generated will be transmitted to Knoxville and neighboring towns, While the towns which it is proposed to supply have electric power, it is expected that the water power will supersede the now existing steam plants, On some of the following pages a detailed consideration of the question of the market for power is presented.

The power produced is intended to be sold to distributing companies at the places supplied, A station load curve has been worked up and the plant designed with a sufficient capacity to furnish the demands shown by this curve. The power produced by the plant is only a part of that available in the stream, and it is intended that as a larger field for the sale of power opens up, the plant should be enlarged, Since the Tennessee at this point is a navigable stream it is necessary to make provision for the passage of vessels up and down stream, This is accomplished by providing a double lift located at the north end of the dam.

A general idea of the project has been given, and, in the following pages, the different phases of the development will be taken up and discussed more at length.