Dam Repeaters

Hydroelectric dams often have difficulty getting microwave communications links to the powerhouse facility. Power houses can be located by the toe of the dam which may be deep in a canyon. Steep canyon walls block the easiest microwave routes. Peninsula Engineering’s microwave RF repeaters have solved this problem at many hydroelectric dams around the world.

Microwave RF repeaters have been placed near the edge of the canyon such that the horizontal microwave beam could be redirected down into the canyon reaching the deep powerhouse.

Hydroelectric dams are often located in mountainous areas were the force of falling water can be harnessed to drive turbine generators. The same mountains are challenging for microwave radio links as line-of-sight is often obstructed. Peninsula RF repeaters have been used as intermediate relays to route microwave signals from distant control centers to the powerhouse and electric switchyards. These repeaters can be located on selected mountain tops to build line-of-sight networks. 

Since Peninsula’s microwave RF repeaters can easily be powered from solar and battery, sites without electric mains power and with limited access, can be used as effective relay stations. Microwave links to hydroelectric facilities rarely need circuit access at the relay station, thus making Peninsula RF repeaters ideal for this application.

Electric power utilities are very demanding on the reliability of their critical communications networks. Peninsula Engineering’s microwave RF repeaters have met this demand with highly reliable equipment and radio paths meeting 99.9990% or better.