Transition Structure Between Adjacent Tower Structures

Inactive Publication Date: 2013-10-31
CLIPPER WINDPOWER INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent proposes a transition structure between adjacent tower sections in a wind turbine to reduce costs. The transition structure includes a plurality of vertical legs, a stub section, connecting members, and a torsion plate. These features can make the wind turbine tower have a unique combination of material, manufacture, transportation, and erection costs. In addition, the patent also describes a wind turbine including the transition structure and a rotor with blades. This patent has technical effects on reducing wind turbine tower costs.

Problems solved by technology

For example, if the diameter becomes too large, the base tower section cannot be transported on public highways and roads or on railways to the site.
But, the increased can thickness may result in substantially increased material and manufacturing costs.
The loads must be effectively transferred from one portion of the tower to the other, and this can be difficult because the loads are carried in different ways by each portion of the tower.

Method used

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  • Transition Structure Between Adjacent Tower Structures
  • Transition Structure Between Adjacent Tower Structures
  • Transition Structure Between Adjacent Tower Structures

Examples

Experimental program
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Embodiment Construction

[0019]Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary wind turbine 2 is shown, in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. While all the components of the wind turbine 2 have not been shown and / or described, a typical wind turbine may include a tower 4, a nacelle 6 mounted on top of the tower and a rotor 8 rotatably coupled to the nacelle. The rotor 8 in turn may include a plurality of blades 10 connected to a hub 12. The blades 10 may rotate with wind energy and the rotor 8 may transfer that energy to a main shaft (not shown) situated within the nacelle 6. The nacelle 6 may also house several other components such as a drive train, one or more generators, various auxiliary components, a turbine control unit, and the like, which although not shown, are contemplated and considered within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0020]With respect to the tower 4, in at least some embodiments, it may be a hybrid tower having a lower truss work or lattice work portion 14 mounte...

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Abstract

A transition structure for transitioning between two adjacent tower structures of a wind turbine is disclosed. The transition structure may include a plurality of vertical legs spaced apart from one another, a stub section positioned between an upper tower portion and a lower tower portion, a plurality of connecting members, each of the plurality of connecting members connecting one of the plurality of vertical legs to the stub section, and at least one torsion plate positioned between the plurality of vertical legs and the stub section.

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE[0001]The present disclosure generally relates to tower structures and, more particularly, relates to transition structures for transitioning between adjacent, non-uniform tower sections for wind turbines.BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE[0002]A utility-scale wind turbine typically includes a set of two or three large rotor blades mounted to a hub. The rotor blades and the hub together are referred to as the rotor. The rotor blades aerodynamically interact with the wind and create lift, which is then translated into a driving torque by the rotor. The rotor is attached to and drives a main shaft, which in turn is operatively connected via a drive train to a generator or a set of generators that produce electric power. The main shaft, the drive train and the generator(s) may all be situated within a nacelle, which in turn is positioned on top of a wind turbine tower.[0003]The wind turbine tower generally includes multiple tower sections, which may be transported indi...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): E04H12/00E04B1/38
CPCF05B2240/912Y02B10/30Y02E10/728E04H2012/006E02B17/0004E02B17/027E02B2017/006E02B2017/0091F03D13/20Y02E10/72
InventorKYATHAM, VISHALAGBAYANI, NESTOR A.ANDERSEN, CHRISTIAN
OwnerCLIPPER WINDPOWER INC