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82-658: Located in the Rhodope Mountains , the complex receives waters from the drainage basins of the Chepinska reka , Stara reka and Vacha , right tributaries of the Maritsa , as well as the Dospat , a left tributary of the Mesta . Its catchment area is 761 km spanning from an altitude of 2,186 m at the summit of Golyama Syutkya to 452 m at the town of Peshtera . The first level of

164-470: A capacity of 3.9 m/s. At its left bank begins the main pressure culvert to the Batak HPP, with a length of 11.7 km, diameter of 2.4 m and a capacity of 13.6 m/s. Downstream of Golyam Beglik are situated the smaller reservoirs of Beglika and Toshkov Chark , constructed in 1954–1956. Beglika is located immediately below the dam Golyam Beglik and serves as a seasonal equalizer of waters from

246-408: A center of placer mining activity. At this time many mining operations were powered by steam engines which consumed vast amounts of wood as their fuel. Some water wheels were used in the larger rivers, but they were ineffective in the smaller streams that were found near the mines. Pelton worked on a design for a water wheel that would work with the relatively small flow found in these streams. By

328-509: A clay core with a height of 17.8 m and a length of 71 m; and Blatoto , weekly equalizer transferring water to the Shiroka Polyana Reservoir; it has a volume of 122 thousand m and a stone embankment dam with a height of 9.2 m and a length of 50 m. The main reservoir of the junction, Shiroka Polyana, occupies a former grassland meadow and was formed by the construction of five separate dams at its shores —

410-477: A concrete gravity dam of the Kireeva River with a height of 21.2 m and a length of 80 m, an earthen dam with a height of 15.7 m and a length of 186 m, an earthen-brick dam with a height of 3.8 m and a length of 57 m, an earthen-brick dam with a height of 2.7 m and a length of 38 m and an earthen dam with a height of 3.55 m and a length of 137 m. The reservoir covers

492-524: A length of 273 m, near which there is a trench spillway with a capacity of 14 m/s on the left bank and a main outlet via a tunnel with a capacity of 90 m/s on the right bank. The reservoir covers a surface area of 21.4 km and has a volume of 310 million m. Part of the water of the reservoir flows through a 3 km long pressure culvert to the Peshtera Hydro Power Plant . The Peshtera HPP has been in inaugurated 1959. It

574-539: A pumping station, transferring water to the Shiroka Polyana Reservoir ; it has a volume of 90 thousand m and a dam of mixed construction (concrete spillway and stone masonry) with a height of 6.4 m and a length of 73.5 m; Karadza Dere , a weekly equalizer with a pumping station transferring water to the Blatoto Equalizer; it has a volume of 121 thousand m and a stone embankment dam with

656-486: A rich cultural heritage including ancient Thracian sites such as Perperikon , Tatul and Belintash , and medieval castles, churches, monasteries , and picturesque villages with traditional Bulgarian architecture from the 18th and 19th centuries. The name of the Rhodope Mountains is of Thracian origin . Rhod-ope (Род-oпа) is interpreted as the first name of a river, meaning "rusty/reddish river", where Rhod- has

738-533: A surface area of 4.3 km, with a volume of 24 million m and an average depth of 6 m. It is linked to the neighbouring Golyam Beglik Reservoir through a tunnel, through which its waters are transferred to the Batak Hydropower Cascade. The main facility of the Golyam Beglik junction and the first level of the cascade is the eponymous reservoir, constructed in 1946–1951 along the course of

820-479: A territory of about 34% of the mountains' area in Bulgaria, constituting a much lower part. The large artificial dams Kardzhali and Studen Kladenets are located in this part of the mountains. The region is rich in thermal mineral springs. The waters around Dzhebel have national reputation for healing various diseases. Belite Brezi is an important healing centre for respiratory and other ailments. Major cities in

902-720: A true bastion of freedom of the Thracians and last refuge of resistance against the Romans. This explains the fact that Thrace became a Roman province about 200 years after Macedonia. In 2005, German scholars from the University of Heidelberg confirmed that the two rather small fragments discovered by archaeologist Nikolay Ovcharov in the Eastern Rhodopes mountains are written in the Minoan Linear A script from about 15th century BC. In

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984-445: Is V i Assuming that the jet velocity is higher than the runner velocity, if the water is not to become backed-up in runner, then due to conservation of mass, the mass entering the runner must equal the mass leaving the runner. The fluid is assumed to be incompressible (an accurate assumption for most liquids). Also, it is assumed that the cross-sectional area of the jet is constant. The jet speed remains constant relative to

1066-437: Is an underground power station with 5 units of horizontal synchronized generators, each driven by two Pelton turbines. The original installed capacity of the plant was 128 MW and during a reconstruction in the late 1990s, it was increased to 136 MW. The planned annual production of the plant is 444 GWh, and the actual one for the period 1963–2009 was 280 GWh and 300 GWh as of 2023. The third level includes

1148-630: Is developed mainly in the western parts where there are some of the most important forest massifs in the Balkan Peninsula. The Rhodopes are one of the main hydro-power generation regions of Bulgaria with a number of major hydroelectric power plants such as Batak, Peshtera, Aleko, Studen Kladenets, Kardzhali, Vacha and Thisavros and Platanovrysi in Greece. Tourism is an important industry with growing significance. Pamporovo and Chepelare are major winter resorts. There are many resorts, camp sites and refuges on

1230-540: Is nearly incompressible, almost all of the available energy is extracted in the first stage of the hydraulic turbine. "Therefore, Pelton wheels have only one turbine stage, unlike gas turbines that operate with compressible fluid." Pelton wheels are the preferred turbine for hydro-power where the available water source has relatively high hydraulic head at low flow rates. Pelton wheels are made in all sizes. There exist multi-ton Pelton wheels mounted on vertical oil pad bearings in hydroelectric plants . The largest units –

1312-502: Is no theoretical limit. Such "peltric sets", consisting of a Pelton wheel, an induction generator and a control mechanism, are used in Nepal. The specific speed η s {\displaystyle \eta _{s}} parameter is independent of a particular turbine's size. Compared to other turbine designs, the relatively low specific speed of the Pelton wheel implies that

1394-535: Is particularly notable for its karst areas with their deep river gorges, large caves and specific sculptured forms, such as the Trigrad Gorge . A significant part of Bulgaria's hydropower resources are located in the western areas of the range. There are a number of hydro-cascades and dams used for electricity production, irrigation, and as tourist destinations. In Greece, there are also the hydroelectric power plants of Thisavros and Platanovrysi. The Rhodopes have

1476-503: Is the ratio of the jet power to the waterpower at the base of the nozzle. The power P  = Fu  = Tω , where ω is the angular velocity of the wheel. Substituting for F , we have P  = 2 ρQ ( V i  − u ) u . To find the runner speed at maximum power, take the derivative of P with respect to u and set it equal to zero, [ dP / du  = 2 ρQ ( V i  − 2 u )]. Maximum power occurs when u  = V i /2. P max = ρQV i /2. Substituting

1558-449: Is the wheel diameter, the torque on the runner is. The torque is maximal when the runner is stopped (i.e. when u  = 0, T  = ρQDV i ). When the speed of the runner is equal to the initial jet velocity, the torque is zero (i.e., when u  = V i , then T  = 0). On a plot of torque versus runner speed, the torque curve is straight between these two points: (0, pQDV i ) and ( V i , 0). Nozzle efficiency

1640-513: Is well-developed. One of the largest industries in the area is mining. There are around 80 mines for lead and zinc whose reserves are among the largest in Europe. They are situated mainly in central parts of the mountain and along the border with Greece as well as to the east. Kardzhali Province is rich in non-metalliferous minerals and gold . There are also small reserves of chromite and iron ore as well as significant impurities of rare metals in

1722-505: Is zero for u  = 0 and for u  =  V i . As the equations indicate, when a real Pelton wheel is working close to maximum efficiency, the fluid flows off the wheel with very little residual velocity. In theory, the energy efficiency varies only with the efficiency of the nozzle and wheel, and does not vary with hydraulic head. The term "efficiency" can refer to: Hydraulic, Mechanical, Volumetric, Wheel, or overall efficiency. The conduit bringing high-pressure water to

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1804-809: The Bieudron Hydroelectric Power Station at the Grande Dixence Dam complex in Switzerland – are over 400 megawatts . The smallest Pelton wheels are only a few inches across, and can be used to tap power from mountain streams having flows of a few gallons per minute. Some of these systems use household plumbing fixtures for water delivery. These small units are recommended for use with 30 metres (100 ft) or more of head, in order to generate significant power levels. Depending on water flow and design, Pelton wheels operate best with heads from 15–1,800 metres (50–5,910 ft), although there

1886-609: The Eastern Orthodox Bachkovo Monastery , the ruins of the Asen dynasty 's fortress, and the Devil's Throat, Yagodinska, and Uhlovitsa caves. The highest village in Bulgaria, Manastir (over 1,500 meters (4,921 ft)), is crouched in the northern foot of Prespa Peak. A number of architectural reserves, such as Shiroka Laka, Kovachevitsa, Momchilovtsi, Kosovo , are also located in the area. The Eastern Rhodopes are spread over

1968-575: The Middle Ages the mountain was part of the Bulgarian and Byzantine Empires and often changed hands between the two countries. There was a dense network of castles which guarded the trade routes and the strategic heights. The largest and most important castles include Lyutitsa , Ustra , Tsepina , Mezek , Asenova krepost and many others. Between 1371 and 1375 the Rhodopes fell under Ottoman occupation in

2050-508: The 38 species of birds of prey of Europe, like the rare Eastern imperial eagle and Lesser spotted eagle . The Rhodopes have been inhabited since the Prehistoric age. There have been many archaeological finds of ancient tools in some of the caves. The first known human inhabitants in the mountains were the Thracians . They built many temples, cities and fortresses. The most famous town in

2132-456: The Aleko HPP, which has a reinforced concrete dam and a volume of 170 thousand m. Water with a discharge of 30 m/s is then led to a fall of 272 m via a pressurized pipeline to power three vertical Francis turbines . Electricity generation is carried out by synchronous generators with a voltage of 10.5 kV with a total installed capacity of 71.4 MW. The utilized water enters

2214-524: The Batak HPP, with the water utilized by the plant being transferred through a 3 km long non-pressurized culvert with a diameter of 2.8 m to the collection derivation Nova Mahala , which also collects water from the tributaries of the Stara reka south of the town of Batak , and then flows into the Batak Reservoir . The reservoir also collects water from the tributaries of the Chepinska reka south of

2296-732: The Company added a branch on the east coast at 143 Liberty Street in New York City . By 1900, over 11,000 turbines were in use. In 1914, the company moved manufacturing to new, larger premises at 612 Alabama Street in San Francisco. In 1956, the company was acquired by the Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Company , which company ended manufacture of Pelton Wheels. In New Zealand, A & G Price in Thames, New Zealand produced Pelton waterwheels for

2378-562: The Dospat–Vacha Hydroelectric Cascade further east but it was decided that it would be more efficient to transfer water to the Batak Hydroelectric Cascade. The hydroelectric junction was built in 1959–1962, after the cascade was inaugurated. The junction collects water from a system of catchments and derivations, some of which pass through three small equalizer dams — Dzhenevra , a daily equalizer with

2460-501: The Eastern Rhodopes. The mountains are also one of the regions associated with the Sarakatsani , a nomadic Greek people who traditionally roamed between Northern Thrace and the Aegean coast . Aromanians , a Romance -speaking ethnic group, also live in the Rhodopes. and Agupti who are a blend of Turks, Roma and Pomaks and don’t associate themselves with other Roma groups. The economy of

2542-598: The Kriva reka, a tributary of the Devinska reka of the Vacha drainage. It has a stone dam with a height of 46.50 m and a length of 190 m, located at an altitude of 1528.5 m. The reservoir serves as an annual leveler of the cascade and has a total volume of 62.1 million m. It receives waters from the Beglishka reka and its tributaries collection via a 7.9 km culvert with

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2624-704: The Ottomans. The northern Rhodopes were ceded in 1878 to an autonomous province of Eastern Rumelia until its unification with the Principality of Bulgaria . The other part of the Rhodopes was annexed as a result of the First Balkan War (1912–1913) but after the Second Balkan War (1913) and the First World War (1914–1918) the southern slopes of the mountain was occupied by Greece and the Bulgarian population of

2706-464: The Pelton turbine is geared most suitably for applications with relatively high hydraulic head H , due to the 5/4 exponent being greater than unity, and given the characteristically low specific speed of the Pelton. In the ideal ( frictionless ) case, all of the hydraulic potential energy ( E p  = mgh ) is converted into kinetic energy ( E k  = mv /2) (see Bernoulli's principle ). Equating these two equations and solving for

2788-472: The Rhodopes are located in the western parts, as well as the rock phenomenon Wonderful Bridges . Significant bodies of water include the Chaira lakes and the Dospat , Batak , Shiroka Polyana , Golyam Beglik and Tsigov Chark dams. The town of Batak is also located in this part of the mountains, as well as the popular tourist centres Smolyan , Velingrad , Devin , Chepelare , the winter resort Pamporovo ,

2870-648: The Rhodopes are the southernmost place in the Balkans where tree species such as the Norway Spruce and the Silver Birch can be found. The mountains have abundant water reserves, with a dense network of mountain springs and rivers. Nearly 80% of the mountain's territory falls within the drainage of the river Maritsa . The natural lakes are few, the most renown of these being the Smolyan lakes situated at several kilometers from

2952-430: The Rhodopes region is dominated by services, tourism, industry and agriculture. Livestock breeding, forestry and tobacco are the most important agricultural activities. Due to the large Muslim population the number of pigs is relatively low but there are many sheep which are traditional for the Rhodopes. Tobacco is grown in the Eastern Rhodopes and forms a large part of the total national production. The industrial sector

3034-531: The Southern Rhodopes is an area almost deserted. After World War II and the Greek Civil War most villages depopulated permanently and their inhabitants never returned. Even the Sarakatsani stockbreeders abandoned the difficult life of the Rhodopes. The depopulation of the region, that has not been grazed for more than 50 years, combined with high rainfall and its geographical location, has contributed to

3116-525: The Western Rhodopes, the temperature varies from 5 to 9 °C (41 to 48 °F) and in the summer rainfalls prevail. The mild climate, combined with some other factors, works in favour of the development of recreation and tourist activities. The Pamporovo resort, where the microclimate permits a heavy snow cover to be preserved for a long time, is an excellent example. Temperatures as low as −15 °C (5 °F) are common in winter, and due to this

3198-462: The area are Haskovo and Kardzhali , as well as the smaller Momchilgrad , Krumovgrad , Zlatograd and Kirkovo . The Eastern Rhodopes, being significantly lower, are also more populated than the western part. Almost every species of the European birds of prey nest in the rocks and forests of the Eastern Rhodopes including the rare black vulture and Egyptian vulture . The Southern Rhodopes are

3280-524: The area is the sacred city of Perperikon located 15 km northeast of Kardzhali . One of the most important Thracian temples was Tatul near the village of the same name. Additionally, there are archeological sites throughout the region related to the cult of Dionysus , such as the ancient Thracian city of Perperikon . The frequent mention of the Rhodope in Ancient Greek and Latin sources indicates that

3362-548: The area was forced to flee to Bulgaria. The sparsely populated area of the Rhodopes has been a place of ethnic and religious diversity for hundreds of years. Apart from the Eastern Orthodox Bulgarians and Greeks , the mountains are also home to a number of Muslim communities, including the Pomaks , that predominate in the western parts and a large concentration of Bulgarian Turks and Greek Turks , particularly in

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3444-413: The blades. The impulse energy of the water jet exerts torque on the bucket-and-wheel system, spinning the wheel; the water jet does a "u-turn" and exits at the outer sides of the bucket, decelerated to a low velocity. In the process, the water jet's momentum is transferred to the wheel and hence to a turbine. Thus, " impulse " energy does work on the turbine. Maximum power and efficiency are achieved when

3526-463: The cascade includes the facilities located above 1,520 m altitude, grouped in two hydro junctions, Shiroka Polyana and Golyam Beglik . Shiroka Polyana junction is a system of dams and pumping stations, aimed at collecting water from the upper course of the catchment areas of the rivers Dospat and Vacha , including the latter's tributary, the Gashnya . It was initially planned to supply water to

3608-534: The catchment of the Beglishka reka. It has a concrete gravity dam with a height of 18.3 m and a length of 73.5 m; its volume is 1.6 million m. Toshkov Chark is located on the Devinska reka and serves for annual equalization of the water from its watershed. It has a stone dam with a steel screen with a height of 21.6 m and a length of 82.2 m; its volume is 1.8 million m. Beglika and Toshkov Chark are equipped with pumping stations to pump water into

3690-404: The competition materials, the design comcept of three main cascades was formed, all of them eventually realized — Dospat–Vacha , Batak and Belmeken–Sestrimo . The concept and technical project for the entire Batak Hydropower Cascade was developed by professor Dimo Velev, engineer Kiril Grigorov, engineer Gichev and others of “Energohydroproject” in the period 1951–1955. The main designers of

3772-470: The construction of a dam at the present-day Batak Reservoir. The Vacha Water Union lobbied for the construction of the reservoir to transfer additional water to their power plant on the Vacha river in the summer, but the project was not realized. In the 1930s, this idea was launched by engineer Todor Romanov. Studies for the construction of the Batak Reservoir began in 1945 and as a result, the position of

3854-730: The course of the Bulgarian–Ottoman wars . During the 16th and 17th centuries the Ottoman authorities began a process of Islamisation of the region. The towns and the villages in the Western Rhodopes took active part in the April Uprising in 1876. When the uprising was crushed the Ottomans slaughtered around 5,000 people in Batak alone . Thousands more perished in Bratsigovo, Perushtitsa and other rebel villages which were also burnt and looted by

3936-434: The creation and maintenance of a biological paradise. There grow coniferous trees, such as the Norway Spruce and the Silver Birch , that cannot be found elsewhere in Greece. In the forest of Frakto there are 300-year-old trees, more than 50 metres high, and the endangered wild goat . In the eastern part of the region there is the well known nature reserve of Dadia Forest , an ideal habitat for birds of prey , with 36 of

4018-515: The dam was changed compared to Ivan Mavrov's original idea. Construction commenced in the fall of 1946. In 1947, on initiative of the chief director of the General Directorate for Electrification of Bulgaria engineer Marin Kalburov, a competition was held for the complete utilization of the waters of the rivers Chaya , Vacha , Stara reka , Chepelarska reka , Kriva reka and Maritsa . Based on

4100-625: The eastern areas. The location of the Rhodopes in the southeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula largely determines the climate in the region. It is influenced both by the colder air coming from the north and by the warmer breeze from the Mediterranean . The average annual temperature in the Eastern Rhodopes is 13 °C (55 °F), the maximum precipitation is in December, the minimum in August. In

4182-703: The geometry is inherently a " low gear " design. Thus it is most suitable to being fed by a hydro source with a low ratio of flow to pressure (meaning relatively low flow and/or relatively high pressure). The specific speed is the main criterion for matching a specific hydro-electric site with the optimal turbine type. It also allows a new turbine design to be scaled from an existing design of known performance. η s = n P / ρ ( g H ) 5 / 4 {\displaystyle \eta _{s}=n{\sqrt {P}}/{\sqrt {\rho }}(gH)^{5/4}} (dimensionless parameter), where: The formula implies that

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4264-578: The greatest extent of any single mountain range in Bulgaria. The mountains are about 240 kilometers (149 mi) long and about 100 to 120 kilometres (62 to 75 mi) wide, with an average altitude of 785 meters (2,575 ft). To the north the mountain slopes descend steeply towards the Upper Thracian Plain . To the west, the Rhodopes reach the Avram saddle, Yundola and the valley of the Mesta River . To

4346-407: The hydro power plants of the cascade are engineer Dimitar Dobrev (Peshtera HPP), electrical engineer Angel Chuchulev and engineer Petar Petrov (Batak HPP) and engineer Alexander Aleksiev (Aleko HPP). The construction of the cascade is carried out by a company created for the purpose under “Hydrostroy” with director engineer Angel Petarchev and head engineer Ivan Maslenkov. The main part of the cascade

4428-408: The impulse of moving water, as opposed to water's dead weight like the traditional overshot water wheel . Many earlier variations of impulse turbines existed, but they were less efficient than Pelton's design. Water leaving those wheels typically still had high speed, carrying away much of the dynamic energy brought to the wheels. Pelton's paddle geometry was designed so that when the rim ran at half

4510-404: The initial jet power V i  = √ 2 gh , this simplifies to P max  = ρghQ . This quantity exactly equals the kinetic power of the jet, so in this ideal case, the efficiency is 100%, since all the energy in the jet is converted to shaft output. A wheel power divided by the initial jet power, is the turbine efficiency, η  = 4 u ( V i  − u )/ V i . It

4592-419: The initial jet velocity ( V i ) indicates that the theoretical (maximum) jet velocity is V i  = √ 2 gh . For simplicity, assume that all of the velocity vectors are parallel to each other. Defining the velocity of the wheel runner as: ( u ), then as the jet approaches the runner, the initial jet velocity relative to the runner is: ( V i  −  u ). The initial velocity of jet

4674-550: The largest by area in Bulgaria , with over 83% of its area in the southern part of the country and the remainder in Greece . Golyam Perelik is its highest peak at 2,191 meters (7,188 ft). The mountain range gives its name to the terrestrial ecoregion Rodope montane mixed forests that belongs in the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome and the Palearctic realm . The region

4756-576: The lead and zinc ores. There are several flotation factories which enrich the ores before it is sent to the large lead and zinc refineries in Kardzhali and Plovdiv . The machine-building industry is developed in Smolyan, Kardzhali, Devin, Bratsigovo, Ivailovgrad and others; there is a pharmaceutical plant in Pestera. Some of the centers of textile industry include Zlatograd, Smolyan, Madan, Laki. The timber industry

4838-468: The local market. One of these is on outdoor display at the Thames Goldmine Experience. Nozzles direct forceful, high-speed streams of water against a series of spoon-shaped buckets, also known as impulse blades, which are mounted around the outer rim of a drive wheel (also called a runner ). As the water jet hits the blades, the direction of water velocity is changed to follow the contours of

4920-406: The lower equalizer dam with a volume of 280 thousand m and is channeled the Upper Thracian Plain , where it is used for the irrigation of up to 400 km of agricultural land. The concept of utilizing the waters in the area of what is now the Batak Hydropower Cascade was first conceived in 1920, when in his publication “The Water Powers of Bulgaria and their Use” engineer Ivan Mavrov proposed

5002-505: The main pressure culvert of the Batak HPP. At the lower end of the Golyam Beglik junction is the Batak Hydro Power Plant , which was completed in 1958 and was the first underground power plant in Bulgaria. It powered by water falling from a height of 421 m with a discharge of 13.6 m/s. Its engine room has four Pelton turbines on vertical axes with a total installed power of 46.8 MW. The second level begins under

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5084-658: The mid 1870s, Pelton had developed a wooden prototype of his new wheel. In 1876, he approached the Miners Foundry in Nevada City, California to build the first commercial models in iron. The first Pelton Wheel was installed at the Mayflower Mine in Nevada City in 1878. The efficiency advantages of Pelton's invention were quickly recognized and his product was soon in high demand. He patented his invention on 26 October 1880. By

5166-414: The mid-1880s, the Miners Foundry could not meet the demand, and in 1888, Pelton sold the rights to his name and the patents to his invention to the Pelton Water Wheel Company in San Francisco. The company established a factory at 121/123 Main Street in San Francisco . The Pelton Water Wheel Company manufactured a large number of Pelton Wheels in San Francisco which were shipped around the world. In 1892,

5248-404: The monasteries are also visited by many Bulgarian and foreign tourists. Rodopi Peak on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands , Antarctica is named after the Rhodope Mountains. Pelton wheel The Pelton wheel or Pelton Turbine is an impulse -type water turbine invented by American inventor Lester Allan Pelton in the 1870s. The Pelton wheel extracts energy from

5330-449: The most famous being in Velingrad , Narechen , Devin , Beden , Mihalkovo and others. In Greece there are mineral water springs in Thermes, 40 km. north of ( Xanthi ) and in Thermia, 60 km. north of Drama , at 620 m. The Western Rhodopes are the largest (66% of the area of the Rhodopes in Bulgaria), higher, most infrastructurally developed, and most visited part of the mountains. The highest and best known peaks are located in

5412-429: The mountain had played an important role in the political and religious life of the Thracian tribes that lived on it. On the tops of the mountain there was a famous oracle, which they had visited to consult Alexander the Great and later the father of Octavian Augustus . On the mountain were also sanctuaries of various other deities, as was Apollo , Zeus , the Thracian Horseman, Mithras , etc. Finally, Rhodope served as

5494-559: The mythic figure of Orpheus . In the Middle Ages , the mountains were known as the Slavey Mountains (Slaveyev Mountains), and under Ottoman rule were known as the Dospatsky Mountains, after the Dospat Municipality and Dospat River . In geomorphological terms, the Rhodopes are part of the Rila -Rhodope massif , which is the oldest landmass on the Balkan peninsula . The Rhodopes are spread over 14,735 square kilometers (5,689 sq mi), of which 12,233 square kilometers (4,723 sq mi) are on Bulgarian territory. They have

5576-412: The part of the mountain range that is located in Greece . The Rhodope regional unit in the northern part of the country is named after the region. This area includes the Rodopi Mountain Range National Park . The Southern Rhodopes are characterized by numerous peaks of relatively low altitude. Their highest peak is Delimposka (1,953m) in the mountain of Frakto, near the Greek-Bulgarian border. Nowadays

5658-414: The region (more than 10 are over 2,000 meters (6,562 ft) high) including the highest one, Golyam Perelik (2,191 meters (7,188 ft)). Among the other popular peaks are Shirokolashki Snezhnik (2,188 meters (7,178 ft)), Golyam Persenk (2,091 meters (6,860 ft)), Batashki Snezhnik (2,082 meters (6,831 ft)), Turla (1,800 meters (5,906 ft)). Some of the deepest river gorges in

5740-416: The runner. So as the jet recedes from the runner, the jet velocity relative to the runner is: − ( V i  − u ) = − V i  + u . In the standard reference frame (relative to the earth), the final velocity is then: V f  = (− V i  + u) + u  = − V i  + 2 u . The ideal runner speed will cause all of the kinetic energy in the jet to be transferred to

5822-440: The same Indo-European root as the Bulgarian "руда" (ore, "ruda"), "ръжда" (rust, "rǎžda"), "риж" (red-haired, "riž"), Latin "rufus" (red), German "rot" (red), English "red", Greek ροδ- (rhod). In Greek mythology , Queen Rhodope of Thrace , the wife of King Haemus of Thrace, offended the gods, and was changed into a mountain by Zeus and Hera as a punishment along with her husband. The mountains are also associated with

5904-406: The same rate it is filled, and thereby allows the high-pressure input flow to continue uninterrupted and without waste of energy. Typically two buckets are mounted side-by-side on the wheel, with the water jet split into two equal streams; this balances the side-load forces on the wheel and helps to ensure smooth, efficient transfer of momentum from the water jet to the turbine wheel. Because water

5986-529: The shores of the dams or in the green valleys, which can be visited in the summer. The caves along the Greek border such as Yagodinska , Uhlovitsa , Devil's Throat Cave , Snezhanka (near Peshtera) and others are popular among speleologists with their spectacular forms and underground lakes and rivers. The ruins of castles, Thracian sites such as Perperikon and Tatul , the villages in National Revival style and

6068-426: The south and east they extend to the coastal plains of Greek Thrace . The Rhodopes are a complex system of ridges and deep river valleys. Fifteen reserves have been established in the region, some of which are under UNESCO protection. The mountains are famous for the largest coniferous woods in the Balkans, their mild relief and the lush vegetation in the western parts as well as the abundance of birds of prey in

6150-597: The speed of the water jet, the water left the wheel with very little speed; thus his design extracted almost all of the water's impulse energy—which made for a very efficient turbine. Lester Allan Pelton was born in Vermillion, Ohio in 1829. In 1850, he traveled overland to take part in the California Gold Rush . Pelton worked by selling fish he caught in the Sacramento River . In 1860, he moved to Camptonville ,

6232-470: The town of Velingrad , the mid-course tributaries of the Stara reka south of Peshtera and Bratsigovo , several small tributaries of the Vacha, as well as the rivers Cherna and Byala. The Batak Reservoir is the main leveling reservoir of the entire cascade, and one of the largest in Bulgaria. It was constructed in 1954–1959 and has two dam walls. The main one is an earth embankment with a height of 35 m and

6314-472: The town of the same name. Some of the largest dams in the country are located in the Rhodopes including the Dospat Dam , Batak Dam , Golyam Beglik , Kardzhali Dam , Studen Kladenets , Vacha Dam , Shiroka Polyana and many others, while in Greece there are the dams of Thisavros and Platanovrysi. They are used mainly for hydro-electric power generation and for irrigation. There are many mineral water springs,

6396-401: The velocity of the water jet is twice the velocity of the rotating buckets, which, assuming that water jet collides elastically with the bucket, would mean the water leaves the bucket with zero velocity, thus imparting all kinetic energy to the wheel. In practice, a very small percentage of the water jet's original kinetic energy will remain in the water, which causes the bucket to be emptied at

6478-435: The water intake of Stara reka, together with the derivations and equalizers of the underground Aleko Hydro Power Plant , located near the village of Aleko Konstantinovo on the northern slopes of the Rhodope Mountains and put into operation in 1959. The water from the intake and the upper levels of the cascade is fed through the main 9.9 km long non-pressurized culvert with a diameter of 3.6 m to an equalizer dam above

6560-433: The wheel. In this case the final jet velocity must be zero. If − V i  + 2 u  = 0, then the optimal runner speed will be u  = V i /2, or half the initial jet velocity. By Newton's second and third laws , the force F imposed by the jet on the runner is equal but opposite to the rate of momentum change of the fluid, so where ρ is the density, and Q is the volume rate of flow of fluid. If D

6642-506: Was automated and connected to the central management of the national network, the output frequencies and voltages were improved, the process of activating the power plants to full load was accelerated to 4–5 minutes. Rhodope Mountains The Rhodopes ( / ˈ r ɒ d ə p iː z / ; Bulgarian : Родопи , Rodopi ; Greek : Ροδόπη , Rodopi ; Turkish : Rodoplar ) are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe , and

6724-553: Was developed along the Stara reka. The catchment area includes river runoff, rainwater and snowmelt. Collection canals of great length were constructed to ensure the necessary amount of water. The total length of the collection tunnels and canals in the catchment area is 165 km, of which 72 km are tunnels and 6.45 km are sag pipes. The three power plants of the cascade were rehabilitated and modernized in 1996–2003, increasing their capacity from 233 MW to 254.2 MW by installing more efficient components. The management

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