College - Author 1

College of Engineering

Department - Author 1

Mechanical Engineering Department

Degree Name - Author 1

BS in Mechanical Engineering

College - Author 2

College of Engineering

Department - Author 2

Mechanical Engineering Department

Degree - Author 2

BS in Mechanical Engineering

College - Author 3

College of Engineering

Department - Author 3

Mechanical Engineering Department

Degree - Author 3

BS in Mechanical Engineering

College - Author 4

College of Engineering

Department - Author 4

Mechanical Engineering Department

Degree - Author 4

BS in Mechanical Engineering

Date

6-2020

Primary Advisor

Peter Schuster, College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Department

Abstract/Summary

This Final Design Review document encompasses the entirety of a sponsored senior project which was conducted by a group of four undergraduate mechanical engineers at California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo. The primary sponsor of this project was Solar Turbines, a subsidiary of Caterpillar Incorporated. Solar Turbines is in the business of development and application of modern-day energy solutions with a large focus on gas powered turbines. Cal Poly acted as a supplemental support of this project and provide the students with mentorship as well as access to its state-of-the-art facilities for the development of an innovative solution to the design challenge submitted by Solar Turbines. The submittal states a desire to improve the deployment timeline of Solar Turbines’ Titan 130 Gas Turbine Mobile Power Unit. This unit hosts a split drive train with a turbine mounted on one semi-trailer (driving trailer) and a generator mounted on another semi-trailer (driven trailer). These two trailers must be accurately aligned and securely fastened, currently taking roughly 12 hours. Seven of these hours account for aligning and leveling the two trailers and five hours account for securing the trailers using tension bolt fasteners. The process is desired to be reduced to 4 hours without compromising the strength of the connection points. The specified alignment tolerance of the trailers was given as + ¼ inch. The primary stresses in the connection are due to the torsional load resulting from the rotation of the turbine. There are two load conditions that were factored into the design: the normal operating load and the short circuit load. The normal operation load of #### ft-lbf is the torque to be experienced by the bolts as a result of the normal operation of the turbine. The short circuit load (#### ft-lbf) is the resulting torque the system undergoes should the generator seize. This document initially presents the background research and function identification processes followed by the ideation process used to develop various solutions to the problem. The final selection processes are also laid out in detail with the final solution chosen being a hydraulically actuated form of alignment using hydraulic arms and wedge connections between the trailers. Critical component dimensions were then confirmed using hand calculations and ANSYS to conduct FEA. Manufacturing and assembly plans including a bill of materials for a full prototype are provided. In addition, testing plans which can be applied to any scale of prototype are also provided. Due to the emergence of Covid-19 during the third phase of the project, prototype development was unable to be completed. Instead further ANSYS analysis (Rigid Body Dynamic) was done in order to further support the solution provided. The goal of this final document is to provide Solar Turbines with all material listed in the Scope of Work agreement and easily lay out prototype development and testing plans that can be used by Solar Turbines if they decide to build a prototype themselves.

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