I am working on a mill site in Roswell GA and am trying to get
information on the remains of a hydroelectric generating system was
installed circa 1920.  There are no visible markings on the badly
corroded machinery or remaining parts - penstock and housing were in
process of being cut up for scrape during WWII when effort to do so was
abandoned for some reason.(see Figures 1-4 at:
http://www.thegars.org/MysteryArtifacts.html).   

The system employed a horizontal shaft which is connected to a General
Electric generator (Figure 2).  Figs 3 & 4 show what remains inside the
forward half of the housing. No better view of this "wheel" or flywheel?
is possible, but in the foreground one can see the breaking system.
Because an approximately 6' section connecting the penstock to the elbow
that enters the top of the housing is missing, I also have no idea of
how water from the penstock may have been directed to whatever kind of
wheel was in there. One large butterfly valve was found in partial
excavation of the wheel pit (see bucket loader Fig 1) but not sure if it
belonged to this or early turbine.  

The Sanborn maps (1880-1911) depict a wood flume (as opposed to iron
penstock by the 1920's) leading to a horizontal turbine with vertical
axis. The 1853 Mill originally had a large breast wheel.  I excavated a
large (61" d.) iron turbine wheel (Figures 5-6) as well as pieces of its
housing from the earlier 19th c. turbine.    

If you have any thoughts on the identification of the penstock and
housing, or the earlier wheel I would greatly appreciate it. If you
haven't already done so, please take a look at other mystery objects on
this web page...
 
Thanks, 

Jim 

James J. D'Angelo, RPA, Ph.D.
Archaeologist
TRC 
4155 Shackleford Road Suite 225
Norcross, Georgia, 30093
770.270.1192  x125 phone
770.270.1392  fax
404.580.2079 cell
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