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| Anna Liffey Weir at Shackelton Mill (2.5m head) |
I had the opportunity lately to visit the old Shackelton Mill. The site is owned by Fingal Coco and I am part of a team working on an EU project promoting renewable energy across North West Europe. See www.aceforenergy.eu.
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| Old Milling Floor |
The old flour mill was purchased by Fingal coco in 2002, having
ceased production in 1998. The site sits on top of a weir at the river Liffey.
There are five floors of vintage mill machinery driven by hydro-mechanical
power. The intention is to open the
heritage site to visitors and develop it as an amenity and to use the power for
on-site consumption. The site is used occasionally for film and TV production.
A site description and professional photos of the interior are available at IARC website .
There are 3 hydro-turbines on-site. All were installed >50 years
ago and not in operation. It is a
low-head site of 2.5m. Flow
in the Liffey has diminished over time due to increased use to supply the city
water which reduces the potential output of the hydro plant.
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| Flywheel and Generator above Turbine |
The largest turbine was chosen by the council for refurbishment. The
theoretical output is 55kW, but probably only 30kW in reality due to low flow
and efficiency considerations. It is a Jonval turbine, a predecessor to the Francis-type
reaction turbine, with a vertical axis and set in a pentrough over the tail
race channel.
The turbine can be switched to drive mechanical equipment in the building
above or to create power via a clutch. The turbine is at present being
re-commissioned and automated by Fiacc O’Brolchain of Water Power Services.
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| 45kW Heat-dump for Electrical Brake |
A new hydraulic sluice control has been
installed for the 2 sluice gates. Also a new electrical brake failsafe
mechanism has been installed which is connected to 45kW of electric heaters to
allow power dumping.
