Dongfeng Dam


The Dongfeng Dam is an arch dam on the Wu River northwest of Qingzhen in Guizhou Province, China. The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation and it supports a 570 MW power station. Construction on the dam began in 1989 and the first generator was operational in 1994, the last in 1995. The generators were up-rated between 2004 and 2005; bringing their capacity from 170 MW each to 190 MW.

Design and operation

The Dongfeng is a tall and long parabola-shaped arch dam. The dam is thick at its crest and at its base. It sits at the base of a catchment area covering. The total reservoir capacity is while is for regulating. At the reservoir's normal elevation of above sea level, the reservoir capacity is. The dam has several discharge facilities; three spillway gates near the crest, three intermediate orifice openings, one chute spillway on the left bank and beside it, one spillway tunnel. The maximum discharge capacity of the spillways is while all openings, including the power station tailrace, can discharge. The power station is located underground on the right bank of the dam. The intake releases water to three headrace tunnels which transfer into penstocks and supply each of the 190 MW Francis turbine-generators. Water is discharged back into the river via one tailrace tunnel.