How is the turbine shaft connected to a reducing gear?

The turbine shaft is typically connected to a reducing gear by a pinion. This method involves using a small gear (the pinion) that meshes with a larger gear, which is part of the reducing gear assembly. The pinion allows for efficient transfer of power and torque from the turbine shaft to the gear system while also reducing the rotational speed of the shaft in accordance with the design requirements of the system. This gear reduction is crucial in applications where the turbine generates high rotational speeds that need to be adjusted to a more manageable speed suitable for various mechanical processes.

In contrast, a direct coupling could result in mismatched speeds and would not offer the necessary reduction in speed, while chain and belt drives are typically used in different contexts, such as driving secondary equipment or for applications requiring mechanical flexibility rather than high-precision power transmission.