Foundation for a wind turbine

Abstract

This invention comprises a wind turbine foundation with a hollow central body in the shape of a truncated cone which has an upper flange or a pedestal to connect with the tower (not shown), and a lower slab in the shape of a plane ring. In the preferred embodiment, the foundation leans the interior surface of the cone and the lower slab on earth from the local terrain, which takes on the role of permanent formwork; in an alternative embodiment, the interior of the foundation is left hollow and accommodates components of the wind turbine within it; and in a final alternative embodiment, the foundation is placed over the surface of the terrain which supports only the base of the lower slab, the central body not being buried.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates in general terms to a wind turbine foundation in the shape of a cone, and more particularly a foundation which comprises a central body in the shape of a truncated cone over which is found an upper flange or a pedestal for connecting with the tower and a lower slab in the shape of a flat ring.BACKGROUND[0002]The power generated in a wind turbine is proportional to the size of the rotor. Therefore, to generate more power, the size of the blades is increased, and as a consequence there is an increase in the size of the power train, of the turbine and the height of the tower. It follows that there must also be an increase in dimensions of the foundation upon which the wind turbine is supported, up to the point where a reduction in the material used in the foundation leads to a considerable reduction in the cost of the wind turbine unit. To this end the above technique offers a number of foundation options to meet ever more challenging ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent text describes a new wind turbine foundation design that is more efficient and cost-effective for high-power wind turbines. The foundation is a hollow cone that is filled with concrete, which helps to distribute stresses and absorb wind turbine loads. This design reduces the amount of material used and simplifies the formwork, making it easier and more economical to build. It also increases stability and reduces the need for expensive and environmentally damaging excavation. Overall, this new foundation design offers a better solution for wind turbines with high power ratings.

Problems solved by technology

However as the power of wind turbines has increased, the following disadvantages of this type of square slab foundation have started to manifest themselves and take on more importance:The weight is contributed by the mass of the concrete, in other words, by one of the most costly parts of the foundation.Inertia does not play an important part, since we are concerned with a continuous section.A large volume of earth fill is generated which has to be evacuated, giving rise to an environmental and economic problem.It is a solution with low structural efficiency, which is not well suited to the distribution of stresses.

As the power of wind turbines increases, typically we see a scaling up of solutions along with which some alternatives appear which are not optimal for multimegawatt wind turbines of the type considered state of the art.

Specifically, for wind turbines with power ratings greater than 2 MW, the foundation designs commonly in use start to become uncompetitive in comparison with other more structurally appropriate designs.

Images