PRLIS machines can pump 3,000 cusecs in one second, bigger than Kaleshwaram

HYDERABAD: The Palamuru Rangareddy multi-stage lift irrigation project, is bigger than Kaleshwaram (KLIP) in the sheer size of its pumping machines. The 145 MW pumps used in the PRLIS are so big that each one of the 34 pumps with 1.94 lakh horsepower can lift 3,000 cusecs of water in just one second.

The biggest pump ever used in KLIP was at Gayatri pump house with a 139 MW rating. There were seven such machines in the Gayatri pumphouse. At Lakshmi pump house 11 machines with a rating of 40 MW were used, eight 40 MW machines were fitted at Saraswathi pump house, nine 40 MW machines at Parvathi, seven 124.4 MW pumps at Nandi Medaram, four 106 MW machines at Annapoorna, four 134.40 MW pumps at Ranganayaksagar, eight 43 MW machines at Mallannasagar, six 27 MW machines at pump house-1 and six 34 MW at pump house-2 of Kondapochamma Sagar were used.

Massive machines

The motors used in PRLIS pumping machines weigh 550 tonnes, rotor and shaft together weigh around 160 tonnes. These two together are called machines that pump water into the pipes from the surge pool. A surge pool helps the water to move at a uniform speed and saves the machines from flooding in case of power failure. The starter weighs 2 tonnes and the shaft weighs 33.5 tonnes. The motors run at a speed of 214.3 RPM, meaning that they will rotate 3.57 times before you blink your eye for a second.

Coming to the individual capacity of the 145 MW rating machines used in PRLIS, they can pump 3,000 cusecs of water. Narlapur pump house has eight such 145 MW pumps and another pump will be kept in reserve. Narlapur pump house could lift 24,000 cusecs to a height of 106 meters. Similarly, nine pumps each at Vattem and Uddandapur pump houses can also lift 2,650 cusecs each. If they work round the clock they will be able to lift 2 TMC per day.

PRLIS wet run on September 16

With the successful dry run of one 145 MW machine at the Yedula pump house, the project engineers and TSTRANSCO officials are now planning for a wet run on September 16 marking the beginning of lifting Krishna River water from Srisailam backwaters from a level of 232.5 meters to a final height of 629 meters in four stages. At Yedula alone, the water will be pumped to a staggering height of 124 meters. These motors were meant to lift 120 TMC of water at the rate of 2 TMC per day for two months. This water would be sufficient to irrigate 12.30 lakh acres.