"C" Station Turbine Basement
No. 7 Alternator Vent Fan and Motor
No.7 Alternator Vent Fan and Motor
This fan and motor unit was built in 1955 by Sirocco Ltd, a well-known electrical engineering company based in Rugby, UK.
It is one of two large fans that helped cool the alternator—the machine that generates electricity—by blowing air through its internal components and across a water-cooled heat exchanger. The cooling water came from the station’s main water system and passed through extra filters (called strainers) before reaching the heat exchanger.
The second fan was installed on the western side of the alternator, near the boiler house extension.
In most cases, just one fan was powerful enough to keep the alternator cool, as long as it was running at 80% or less of its maximum power output.
Rotary Ash Discharge Chute (TBC)
The Rotary Ash Discharge Chute (pictured at the front) is a large, curved steel unit with a shape that resembles a snail shell. The sloped metal panels inside, which are only visible from above, likely guided the ash towards a front-facing opening into a collection system below.
Attached to this outlet is a Sirocco-branded drive assembly, which includes a rotating shaft and gearbox. This unit helped to control the flow of ash being discharged from the chute.
Sirocco Engineering Works, based in the UK, was a well-known manufacturer of industrial fans, ventilation systems, and ash handling equipment. The company later became part of the LDC engineering group.
Ash Hopper Transfer Bin (TBC)
The transfer bin (pictured behind) was designed to collect ash from overhead hoppers and funnel it down into the rotating discharge chute below.
C Station Bus Distribution Isolator
