North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd.

Tuirial Hydro Electric Project

Guideline for Initial Filling & Testing of Water Conductor System and Reservoir

TUIRIAL HYDRO ELECTRIC PROJECT

GUIDELINES FOR INITIAL FILLING & TESTING OF
WATER CONDUCTOR SYSTEM AND RESERVOIR
REVISED AS ON 10/06/2017

1. GENERAL
(i) Trial operation of all gates in dry and wet conditions (where appropriate) as per their
specifications should be done a number of times, according to the specified procedure to
ensure satisfactory operation.
(ii) A set of spare seals should be obtained and kept ready in advance for each type of gate so
that any seal getting damaged during testing and/or operation can be replaced expeditiously.
(iii) The problems likely to arise with the charging of the water conductor system should be
foreseen, particularly in seepage conditions along the hill slope. Materials required for tackling
these problems should be procured in advance so that these are readily available. These
materials may be like quick setting cement, epoxy compounds etc.
(iv) Adequate pumping capacity should be readily available at vulnerable sites for tackling any
unforeseen dewatering problems.
(v) The distance marks should be painted all along inside the tunnel with suitable paint to facilitate
identification during any subsequent inspection.
(vi) Operating instructions for operation of gates and other important installations, supplied by
suppliers, should be posted at convenient places (near the equipment). The operating staff
including engineers should be well acquainted with the design background of various
structures including gates etc. so that they are aware of the limitations of the various structures
and installations.
(vii) At least two sets of construction drawings of all structures of the water conductor system
should be kept in a centralized office so that they are readily available for reference.
(viii) Any quantitative change in the seepage pattern and other signals of distress of rock mass,
when the system is charged with water should be picked up promptly and remedial action
taken.
(ix) Discharge gauge should be marked permanently in following locations.
(a) Power Water Way Intake;
(b) Low level Outlet Intake;
(c) Tail Pool/ Tail Race.
(x) Water Level Gauge should be marked permanently in the following locations:
(a) Main Dam;
(b) Saddle Dam;
(c) Spillway;
(d) Intake;
(e) Tail Pool/ Tail Race.

Design & Engineering Wing 1/5

NEEPCO Ltd., NEEPCO Bhawan, Guwahati- 781005
North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd.
Tuirial Hydro Electric Project
Guideline for Initial Filling & Testing of Water Conductor System and Reservoir

(xi) The filling of the entire water conductor system shall be through the Power Water Way (PWW)
Intake except the portion of Penstock up to EL. 27.50, which shall be filled up by pumping
water from Tuirial River. A discharge as per the capacity of fill-in valve is to be maintained
through the PWW Intake gate. The rise in reservoir water level should be regulated by
operating the spillway radial gates beyond El.76.6m.
2. SEQUENCE OF ACTIVITIES
The reservoir, after attaining the spillway crest (El.76.6m), shall be maintained at El.76.6m
during the course of filling of water conductor system and all the components as mentioned
elsewhere in this report to be checked. Thereafter, reservoir may be raised at the rate not
exceeding 20cm per day by operating the Spillway Gates.
Filling of tail pool, draft tube and part of the WCS bringing the water level to EL. 27.50 m
(which is the tail race weir level) may be started as per the readiness of Power House for
commissioning. This may be achieved as follows by two ways:
A) By Pumping water from the Tuirial River to TRC
(i) Check all the openings of the spiral casing including the spherical valve and its bye pass
for all the two units are closed.
(ii) Check turbine guide vanes for all the two units are closed.
(iii) Check WCS and scroll case manholes are closed.
(iv) Check draft tube gates of all the two units are closed. The filling valve of the draft tube
gate should also be in closed position.
(v) Check scroll case drain valves for all the units are in closed position.
(vi) Check bye pass drain valves for penstock for all the units are in closed position.
(vii) Start pumping water from Tuirial River at a suitable rate.
(viii) After the water level in the tail pool has reached EL. 27.50 m stop pumping temporarily
and check the following:
a) Check whether the leakage through the draft tube gate is within the permissible
limit or not (i.e. 5 to 10 liter/meter length of seal/minute).
b) Check for any leakage through the filling valve of the draft tube gate.
c) Check for any marked reduction in the water level in the tail pool.
d) Watch the power house hill slope and drainage holes provided along the slope for
any seepage.
(ix) After all the tests under (a) to (d) of (viii) have been satisfactorily completed, open the
bye pass drain valves for penstock of the units to be filled.
(x) Filling of the draft tube and part of the penstock to El. 27.50 m is to be achieved by
opening the filling valves only (refer draft tube gate operation manual). It is to be noted
that during this operation draft tube gate has to be in closed position. At the same time
start pumping water from Tuirial River into the tail pool.
(xi) After the water level in the system (i.e. both on the u/s and d/s of the draft tube gate)
has reached EL. 27.50 m stop filling/pumping for six hours, open the draft tube gate
completely and close the bye-pass drain valves for penstock and check the following:
a) Check for any marked reduction in pressure.

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NEEPCO Ltd., NEEPCO Bhawan, Guwahati- 781005
North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd.
Tuirial Hydro Electric Project
Guideline for Initial Filling & Testing of Water Conductor System and Reservoir

b) Watch the power house hill slope and drainage holes provided along the slope for
any seepage.
B) Filling of TRC from the reservoir through intake gate ( This option may be
adopted if the option at A is not feasible)
(i) Check all the openings of the spiral casing including the spherical valve and its bye
pass for all the two units are closed.
(ii) Check turbine guide vanes for all the two units are closed.
(iii) Check WCS and scroll case manholes are closed.
(iv) Check draft tube gates of all the two units are open.
(v) Check scroll case drain valves for all the units are in closed position.
(vi) Check bye pass drain valves for penstock for all the units are in closed position.
(vii) Start filling the penstock through fill-in valve of the intake gate and at water level in
penstock at El.27.5m.
(viii) Open the penstock drain valve and allow the water to draft tube and tail pool.
(ix) Repeat the step (vii) and (viii) until the water level reaches at El.27.5m and close the fill
in valve of intake gate and penstock drain valve.

(x) After the water level in the tail pool and power house has reached EL. 27.50 m, check
the following:
a) Check for any marked reduction in the water level in the tail pool.
b) Watch the power house hill slope and drainage holes provided along the slope for
any seepage.
(xi) After the water level in the system has reached EL. 27.50 m stop filling for six hours,
close the bye-pass drain valves for penstock and check the following:
a) Check for any marked reduction in pressure.
b) Watch the power house hill slope and drainage holes provided along the slope for
any seepage.

3. WCS FILLING
After all the tests under the aforesaid stages have been satisfactorily completed; the Fill-in
Valve of PWW Intake gate shall be opened for filling of the WCS to attain the balance
condition as follows:
(i) Keep the bye pass drain valves of penstock for all the units in closed position.
(ii) Continue filling at the rate of capacity of the fill-in valve.
(iii) Keep a check on the pressure at Piezometers at power house to monitor filling rate.
(iv) When the water level reaches EL. 37.50 m in the system, stop filling for 24 (Twenty
Four) hours and check the following:
(a) Leakage at the spherical valves of all the units and any marked reduction in
pressure.

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NEEPCO Ltd., NEEPCO Bhawan, Guwahati- 781005
North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd.
Tuirial Hydro Electric Project
Guideline for Initial Filling & Testing of Water Conductor System and Reservoir

(b) Watch the power house hill slope and the drainage holes provided along
the slope for any seepage.
(c) Any marked decrease in the reservoir water level.
(d) Monitor the water table in the wells, streams and springs along the tunnel
alignment and report.
After the above checks have been satisfactorily completed, continue filling through the fill-in
Valve till the water level in WCS reaches El.47.5m. Stop filling for 24 hours and repeat the
aforesaid checks.
After the above checks have been satisfactorily completed continue filling through the fill-in
valve till the water level in WCS reaches El.57.5m. Stop filling for 24 hours and repeat the
aforesaid checks.
After the above checks have been satisfactorily completed continue filling through the fill-in
valve till the balance condition is established.
With the completion of the above, the water conductor system stands filled up, tested and
ready for machine operation. Machine operation and testing shall be as outlined by the
manufacturer.

After filling up of the WCS as mentioned above, The PWW intake gate may be opened fully i.e.
up to the deck level.
After completion of the aforesaid activities, raising of the reservoir water level may be
continued at the rate of 0.3m in 48 hours up to El. 83.5 m which will be regulated by the
Spillway Gates. The raising of reservoir shall be temporarily stopped for sufficient time for
monitoring and evaluating the performance of the Dam and to take decision of further rising.
The following checks shall be conducted.
(a) Check the readings of the instruments installed in the dam.
(b) Check for any leakage or under seepage on downstream of the dam.

After the above checks have been satisfactorily completed, raising of the reservoir water level
may be continued at the rate of 0.3m in 48 hours up to El. 90.5 m (FRL).
4. COMMUNICATION
As the functioning of water conductor system is manually operated and not automatic it is
essential to have a full-proof system of communication between intake, powerhouse and other
vulnerable monitoring points of Water Conductor System. For this, telephone line should be
laid directly between these controlling points and wireless contact should be maintained.
Communication link should be maintained to monitor the operation of Fill-in valve of PWW gate
and corresponding pressure rise at Powerhouse.
5. REPORT
All the operations performed and the tests carried out during the initial filling of the system as
detailed above shall be properly documented in the form of a report in the chronological order.
Any distress conditions noticed and the remedial measures carried out shall also find place in
the Report.

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NEEPCO Ltd., NEEPCO Bhawan, Guwahati- 781005
North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd.
Tuirial Hydro Electric Project
Guideline for Initial Filling & Testing of Water Conductor System and Reservoir

6. REFERENCE:
(a) IS: 12633-1989: First Filling and Emptying of Pressure Tunnels- Guidelines.
(b) IS: 7323- 1994: Operation of Reservoirs- Guidelines.
(c) IS: 15472- 2004: Guidelines for planning and design of low level outlets for evacuating
storage reservoirs.

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NEEPCO Ltd., NEEPCO Bhawan, Guwahati- 781005