He Huakaʻi Alakaʻi ma o ka Mana: Alakaʻi ʻo Forster i nā mea kūʻai aku ma kahi huakaʻi Hydro Plant

Ua hū ka lewa me kahi alapine haʻahaʻa a rhythmic i ʻoi aku ka ʻike ʻia ma mua o ka lohe ʻia—he manaʻo o ka mana nui i kāohi ʻia. ʻO Mr. George, he luna hana loea ma Forster me kahi ʻoihana i kālai ʻia ma kēia mau hale lua, kū i mua o kahi hui o nā mea kūʻai aku i hoʻopio ʻia, ua maopopo kona leo a hilinaʻi hoʻi e kūʻē i ka symphony o nā mīkini.
"Welina mai kākou a pau, i ka puʻuwai o ka hana," hoʻomaka ʻo George, me kona lima e hohola ana ma ka hale nui nui. "ʻO ka mea āu e lohe ai, ʻo ia ke kani o ka ikehu hiki ke lilo i kinetic, a me ka ikehu kinetic e lilo i uila maʻemaʻe a maʻemaʻe. I kēia lā, ʻo wau kou alakaʻi ma o kēia kaʻina hana."
Ua hahai ka hui iā ia ma mua o nā hale kiʻekiʻe a ʻulaʻula. Ua kū ʻo George ma ka ʻaoʻao o kahi paipu kila nui i iho mai ke kaupaku a nalowale i ka papahele. "ʻO kēia ka penstock," wahi āna, e pā ana i ka metala anuanu. "ʻO ia ke aʻa o kā mākou mea kanu. ʻO ka wai mai ka waihona wai ma luna o mākou e hele ana i lalo ma lalo o ke kaomi nui, e hōʻiliʻili ana i ka wikiwiki a me ka ikaika e pono ai no ka hana aʻe."

Ua alakaʻi ʻo ia iā lākou i ke kikowaena o ka hale: ʻo ka turbine ponoʻī. ʻAʻole e like me nā ʻōwili nunui o nā turbine maʻamau, ua hoʻolālā ʻia kēia no ka hopena. "Hoʻohana mākou i kahi turbine huila Pelton ma ʻaneʻi, kūpono no kā mākou kumu wai kiʻekiʻe, kahe haʻahaʻa," wahi a George, e kuhikuhi ana i ka huila ikaika, i uhi ʻia i ka bākeke. "ʻIke ʻoe i kēlā nozzle? Hoʻokomo ia i ka wai i loko o kahi jet wikiwiki e paʻi ana i kēia mau bākeke me ka ikaika nui, e milo ana i ka huila. He ʻenekinia pololei ia—e hoʻohana ana i ka momentum, ʻaʻole wale ke kaumaha."
Ua kuhikuhi kekahi mea kūʻai aku i ke koʻokoʻo nui e puka mai ana mai ka turbine. "A pili kēlā i ka mīkini hana?"
"Pololei!" i ʻōlelo aku ai ʻo George, e alakaʻi ana iā lākou i kekahi ʻaoʻao o ka ʻāpana. "ʻO ka ikehu wili mai ka turbine e hoʻohuli i ka rotor i loko o ka mīkini hana." Kuhikuhi akula ʻo ia i ka hale stator nui. "Maanei, i loko o kahi kahua magnetic, ua hoʻololi ʻia kēlā wili mechanical i au uila. ʻO ia kahi e hana ʻia ai ke kilokilo maoli."
A laila alakaʻi ʻo ia i ka hui i kahi kahua nānā kiʻekiʻe, e hāʻawi ana i kahi hiʻohiʻona panoramic o ka haunaele i kāohi ʻia ma lalo. Ua laina nā panakō o nā monitor a me nā panela hoʻomalu ma ka paia mamao. "A ua mālama ʻia nā mea a pau mai ko mākou lumi hoʻomalu," wahi āna. "Ua nānā ʻia a hoʻoponopono ʻia kēlā me kēia volt, kēlā me kēia ampere ma laila ma mua o ka hoʻouna ʻia ʻana i ka pūnaewele. ʻO kēia kaʻina hana holoʻokoʻa, mai ka lawe ʻana i ka wai a hiki i ka hoʻopuka mana, ua hana ʻia no ka pono a me ka palekana kiʻekiʻe loa, me ka ʻole o ka hoʻokuʻu ʻana."

Ua nīnau kekahi mea kūʻai aku, "Pehea lā ka wai ma hope o ka pau ʻana o kāna hana?"
Ua minoʻaka ʻo George. "He nīnau maikaʻi loa. Hāʻule ka wai, kona ikehu i hoʻopau ʻia, i loko o ka huelo ma lalo o mākou a hoʻokuʻu palekana ʻia i loko o ka muliwai ma lalo. Hoʻomau a hoʻomau ka pōʻaiapuni."
I ka pau ʻana o ka huakaʻi, ua kū ʻo George i mua o ka hui. "ʻAʻole kēia he mīkini wale nō; he hōʻike ia i ka noʻeau o ke kanaka e hana like ana me ke kūlohelohe. ʻAʻole mākou e hoʻoulu wale ana i ka mana; ke hāʻawi nei mākou i kahi kahua hilinaʻi a hiki ke hoʻohou hou ʻia no kāu mau ʻoihana a me nā kaiāulu."
ʻO nā mea kūʻai aku, i kēia manawa me ka mahalo nui no ke kani ʻana a puni lākou, ua haʻalele me kahi ʻike maopopo o ka ʻenekinia maʻemaʻe a ikaika hoʻi a Forster a me kāna hui i aʻo ai i kēlā me kēia lā.