Originally Posted by
snappel
Another one from the 'archives'. This pumping station was
once used to pump water into and out of the East and West Float docks in Birkenhead. Now it's disused, but the hydraulic accumulators survive, as does the
incredible tower.
Great tower. It was used to pump water in and out of the Alfred Dock locks, also Alfred Dock and East Float and open and
close the lock gates. I'm pretty sure West Float has its own pumps which is quite a way up the docks - I could be wrong.
The accumulator was just a
large cylinder with a very heavy piston to apply pressure - the piston may open topped and filled with gravel (or even water in some cases). The higher
water is the greater the pressure as gravity pulls on the water (why tanks are on hills). To have the equivalent of a 180 metres high tower gives 6 bar
pressure at the bottom if the water is stored at the top. 6 bar is 88 pounds per squ inch. If you have a cylinder with a heavy piston with each squ inch of
the piston weighing 88 lbs you don't need to build a high tower - it can be at ground level. You need a pump that gives over 88 pounds per squ inch of
pressure, but not a lot of volume, to charge up the cylinder slowly. Then the water is released quickly and in volume to open large lock gates. The piston
accumulators apply a constant pressure on the hydraulic system.
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The towers also acted as buffers to smooth out the water pressure to various
pumps.
Above. the ship is at the
vegetable oil berth at Alfred Dock. The lefty side of the bridge is East Float. The whole of Alfred Dock is used as a lock for large ships. Water is pumped
in and out of the dock.
I love Birkenhead Docks. The Floats are massive and great the way they spiral way inland. Ships could turn around with in
the floats. It was the old Wallasey Pool inlet just locked off at the river and quays added. Bidston docks is now filled in and a further docks was
earmarked to be cut in after Bidston. If this dock was built, the docks would not be far from Liverpool Bay giving the docks two entrances. That was
suggested at one time.
Above: Alfred Dock is the furthest small dock
north on the river. The tower can be seen.
Above: A large ship, with a
red hull, is berthed at the West Float and looks very small. Bidston Dock is in-filled and where the green patch is. A criminal act to fill that in.
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