I designed a high-power gearbox speed-reduction system for a smaller-scale concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in Nevada, commissioned for the Crescent Dunes project owners (ACS). The system connects a 6000 RPM steam turbine to a 450 RPM generator for a 30 MW plant with two parallel turbine lines (15 MW each), built around a 25-year service life and nightly operating cycles (5 PM–5 AM) that create variable loading. The concept uses a multi-stage geartrain to achieve the 6000→450 RPM reduction, with overall gearbox efficiency assumed at 96% to reflect realistic drivetrain losses.

Design Project Design Project On the engineering side, I converted plant-level requirements into shaft-by-shaft power/torque targets (e.g., ~16.276 MW at 6000 RPM on the input shaft and ~331.6 kNm at 450 RPM on the output shaft), then used those loads to drive preliminary sizing and reliability decisions under fluctuating torque throughout the duty cycle. I specified the full mechanical package (shafts, gears, bearings, couplings, and a serviceable two-piece housing with lubrication fill/drain provisions) while targeting infinite-life design with a minimum safety factor of 1.4, and I documented assembly sequencing and a planned bearing replacement/overhaul schedule to support maintainability and uptime.