The Ir. DF Woudagemaal,the largest steam pumping station in the world
The Ir. DF Woudagemaal is the largest steam pumping station in the world ever built. The pumping station is located in Lemmer near Tacozijl in Friesland . Around 2017 it will be used on average once every two years during periods with a lot of rain and wind, to keep the Frisian water at the required level if the JL Hoogland pumping station at Stavoren can not provide sufficient capacity due to circumstances.
In 1947 the pumping station was named after DF Wouda , Chief Engineer of the Provincial Water Authority of Friesland . He designed the building built in 1917-1918 in a traditional style with influences of rationalism .
During construction, lightning struck into the free-standing chimney. The chimney had just been completed, but the lightning rod had not yet been installed, because the mortar was still too wet for that. The chimney had to be completely demolished and rebuilt.
To feed the pumping station, a special flow channel was dug that is extra wide to handle the amount of water.The pumping station was opened on 7 October 1920 by Queen Wilhelmina .
The machine park designed by JC Dijxhoorn was placed in 1919-1920. It was built by the Machinefabriek Jaffa in Utrecht .
The machine park consists of four tandem-compound main steam engines of 500 IPK and eight double- sided intake centrifugal pumps . Each main steam engine is coupled to two of these pumps. Condensation devices have been installed per two main steam engines, each with a small tandem-compound steam engine . In 1955, the six coal-fired Piedboeuf steam boilers were replaced by four boiler boilers from Werkspoor , which in 1967 were converted to heavy fuel oil .
The chimney at the pumping station is not only intended to discharge the flue gases, but mainly has the function of causing drafts in the boilers. Air is sucked in through the draft, which is necessary for the combustion of the fuel in the fire chamber of the boilers. But this draft also ensures that the hot combustion products are sucked through the smoke channels in the boiler, so that these hot combustion gases come into effective contact with the walls of the smoke ducts, behind which the water, resp. the still wet steam is located. The gases that come down the chimney must still have a temperature of 200 degrees to be able to produce a good draft.
Until 1966 the pumping station was used to the bosom level of Friesland ( FZP decrease). In that year the JL Hoogland pumping station was delivered, since then the Ir. DF Woudagemaal still deployed on average once every two years. In order to keep the personnel skilled, the pumping station is steamed twice a year. Due to, among other things, climate change, the use of the pumping station in case of prolonged and heavy rainfall is still important for maintaining the level of the Frisian chimney breast. When the pumping station is used functionally, it is also open to visitors.
