Self-resetting hybrid energy consumption switching section for wind power supporting structure
Through the design of a self-resetting hybrid energy-absorbing transition section, the problem of insufficient displacement ductility of traditional wind turbine support structures under extreme loads is solved, the self-resetting and energy-absorbing functions of the structure are realized, and the seismic toughness and reliability of the wind turbine support structure are improved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510746403.9
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-05
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-19
AI Technical Summary
Under extreme wind loads and strong earthquakes, traditional wind turbine support structures suffer from insufficient displacement ductility, insufficient structural damping, and a lack of controllable energy dissipation paths, resulting in insufficient safety and reliability, and limiting the development of wind power in the deep sea and large-capacity directions.
A self-resetting hybrid energy-absorbing transition section is adopted. Through the concentric nesting structure of the outer sleeve and the inner liner, viscoelastic material is filled to form a damping layer. The prestressed system and the self-resetting energy-absorbing device work together to realize the self-resetting and energy-absorbing functions of the structure.
It significantly improves the seismic toughness and maintainability of wind turbine support structures, ensures that the structure can effectively dissipate energy and reset itself under extreme loads, and improves safety reserves and disaster resistance reliability.
Smart Images
Figure CN120666952A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of wind power generation, and in particular to a self-resetting hybrid energy-consuming adapter section for a wind power support structure. Background Art
[0002] As global energy demand continues to grow, wind energy, as the clean and renewable energy source with the greatest development potential, is expanding its development and utilization at an average annual rate of 12%. As the critical force transmission system supporting the 100-ton nacelle and 100-meter-long impeller, the safety and stability of the wind turbine support structure are directly related to the reliable operation of the entire wind turbine over its 20-25-year design lifecycle. Analysis of the structural dynamics reveals that the non-uniform gradient distribution of mass and stiffness results in significant nonlinear response characteristics under the coupled effects of wind loads and seismic excitation. Furthermore, the cantilevered, towering structure results in a single-column longitudinal through-hole force transmission path. This "one-touch-the-whole" mechanical characteristic results in insufficient structural redundancy and sudden failure modes.
[0003] Furthermore, the high-strength steel, thin-walled circular tube structure used in wind turbine towers (diameter-to-thickness ratios D / t generally exceeding 150) is prone to local buckling under complex wind-wave-seismic coupled loads. This post-buckling strength decays, leading to a sudden drop in structural resistance and collapse shortly after exceeding the elastic limit. These structural characteristics expose traditional wind turbine support structures to technical deficiencies such as insufficient displacement ductility, insufficient structural damping, and a lack of controllable energy dissipation pathways under extreme wind loads and strong earthquakes. These issues severely hinder the technical feasibility of developing wind power in deep-sea and high-capacity locations.
[0004] In response to the technical bottlenecks of traditional support structure systems, this invention innovatively proposes a hybrid energy-dissipating transfer section based on the concept of "damage control + self-reset", which can significantly improve the seismic resilience and maintainability of wind power infrastructure. Summary of the Invention
[0005] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention discloses a self-resetting hybrid energy-consuming adapter section for a wind power support structure, which is used to solve the above-mentioned problems.
[0006] The present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions: The present invention provides a self-resetting hybrid energy-absorbing adapter section for a wind turbine support structure, which is used to connect the upper tower and the lower structure of the wind turbine support. The adapter section includes an outer sleeve and an inner liner. The outer sleeve and the inner liner are concentrically nested to form a double-tube structure body, and a viscoelastic material is filled between them to form a damping layer. The top of the outer sleeve and the bottom of the inner liner are anchored with a self-resetting energy dissipation device; The outer sleeve and the inner liner penetrate the steel strands to form a prestressed system. The axial preload is applied by the self-resetting energy dissipation device, which cooperates with the damping layer to limit the relative displacement of the outer sleeve and the inner liner.
[0007] Furthermore, the outer sleeve is composed of a circular tube and a high prism neck flange; the high prism neck flange adopts a composite structure of a truncated cone and a circular disc, and is fixed to the bottom end of the circular tube by a welding process; A regular polygonal prism-shaped boss is provided in the central area of the frustum, which can form a shear-resistant and torsion-resistant cooperative working mechanism when assembled with the inner liner; a through-hole is reserved at the central axis position to meet the needs of internal pipeline laying.
[0008] Furthermore, the outer sleeve is welded with stiffening ribs at equal intervals along the outer periphery of the junction between the circular tube and the high prism neck flange to enhance the structural integrity; The surface of the frustum is distributed with a number of precision threaded holes in a circumferential array for installing a self-resetting energy dissipation device; the flange base area is evenly distributed with a number of assembly holes to form an auxiliary connection system to connect the prestressed system.
[0009] Furthermore, the inner liner is composed of an inner tube, a rocking tube bottom and double-sided flanges; The inner tube adopts a standard cylindrical shell structure; The bottom of the swing cylinder is a truncated conical shell structure, and a regular polygonal through hole is provided in the center of the bottom. The geometric dimensions and cross-sectional shape of the hole are strictly matched with the polygonal boss of the high prism neck flange to achieve precise fitting assembly.
[0010] Furthermore, a number of circular through holes are evenly distributed around the bottom of the cylinder, and their spatial coordinates completely correspond to the reserved holes of the high prism neck flange, ensuring smooth penetration of the prestressed system; The double-sided flange is fixed to the top socket of the inner pipe by full penetration welds, and triangular stiffening ribs are welded circumferentially on the outside of the connection area to enhance the node stiffness; The outer edge of the flange is evenly distributed with high-precision bolt connection holes for achieving docking with the flange of the upper tower; an array of equal-diameter through holes is set on the inner periphery to provide a through channel for the prestressed system.
[0011] Furthermore, the wind turbine support upper tower and inner liner, outer sleeve and lower structure are all fastened together by high-strength bolts using an array of screw holes preset on the outside; The prestressed system is composed of a number of prestressed tendons equipped with anchors, which pass through the reserved channels arranged on the inner side of the high prism neck flange, the inner side of the double-sided flange and the bottom of the swing cylinder to provide self-resetting driving force for the structure.
[0012] Furthermore, under normal operating conditions, the self-resetting hybrid energy dissipation transition section drives the viscoelastic material to produce shear deformation through the relative displacement of the outer sleeve circular tube and the inner liner inner tube, thereby achieving energy dissipation; The high prismatic neck flange arranged at the bottom of the outer sleeve forms a cooperative extrusion mechanism with the rocking bottom of the inner liner, causing the wedge-shaped rubber bearing to undergo controllable deformation to complete the energy dissipation process.
[0013] Furthermore, the stiffness parameters and strength indicators of the self-resetting energy dissipation device are designed based on the principle of ensuring that the wind power support structure equipped with the self-resetting hybrid energy dissipation transition section can produce a controllable lifting and swinging mechanism at the bottom end of the inner liner under extreme loads. The mechanical swinging behavior can concentrate the nonlinear deformation in the working range of the self-resetting energy dissipation device, and then amplify the shear energy dissipation efficiency of the wedge-shaped rubber bearing and the viscoelastic material through the lever effect. After the self-resetting energy dissipation device enters the nonlinear stage, the stiffness is reduced, and the lifting capacity of the constrained bottom is reduced, making the rubber bearing and the viscoelastic material easier to deform, thereby forming an efficient hybrid energy dissipation mechanism.
[0014] Furthermore, the prestressed system and the self-resetting energy dissipation device form a mechanical coupling relationship to jointly maintain the quasi-elastic swinging motion mode of the structure. When the external dynamic excitation is eliminated, the structural system is restored to the initial equilibrium position under the combined action of the restoring force provided by the prestressed system and the self-resetting device.
[0015] Furthermore, the self-resetting energy dissipation device, prestressed system, viscoelastic material and wedge-shaped rubber bearing are symmetrically distributed at equal angles along the circumference of the self-resetting hybrid energy dissipation transition section, ensuring the balance of the seismic performance of the structure in all directions through a circumferentially uniform arrangement.
[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: Under normal operating conditions, the self-resetting hybrid energy-dissipating transition section of this invention effectively suppresses the structure's wind-induced vibration response through the synergistic dissipation effect of the viscoelastic material and wedge-shaped rubber bearings. Under extreme loads, this section triggers the structure's controlled sway mechanism, simultaneously activating the nonlinear energy dissipation characteristics of the self-resetting energy dissipation device and enhancing the energy dissipation efficiency of the viscoelastic material and wedge-shaped rubber bearings, forming a multi-stage hybrid energy dissipation system.
[0017] This invention achieves dual protection for both the upper tower and the lower load-bearing structure by directing structural damage toward the self-resetting hybrid energy-dissipating transition section. Its notable feature is its exceptional self-resetting performance: once the external excitation is removed, the prestressed system and the self-resetting energy-dissipating device work together to provide sufficient restoring force, ensuring the structure fully returns to its original configuration.
[0018] The present invention has good assembly adaptability and can be widely used in various wind power support structure systems, including but not limited to jacket-type onshore wind power support structures, single-pile offshore wind power support structures, and jacket-type offshore wind power support structures and other engineering practices.
[0019] Through the coupling design of innovative energy dissipation mechanism and reset system, the present invention significantly improves the technical defects of traditional wind power support structure, such as limited energy dissipation capacity and insufficient deformation adaptability, and effectively improves the safety reserve and disaster resistance reliability of the structural system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.
[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a hybrid self-resetting energy-consuming section of a wind power support structure and its application according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is an exploded schematic diagram of the hybrid self-resetting energy-consuming section of the wind power support structure according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a front view of the hybrid self-resetting energy-consuming section of the wind power support structure according to the present invention; Figure 4 A top view of the hybrid self-resetting energy-consuming section of the wind power support structure according to the present invention; Figure 5 for Figure 3 Cross-sectional view in the AA direction; Figure 6 for Figure 3 Cross-sectional view in the middle BB direction; Figure 7 for Figure 4 Cross-sectional view in CC direction; Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the explosion of the outer sleeve; Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the explosion of the inner liner.
[0022] The marks in the figure represent: 1: Hybrid self-resetting energy-absorbing section; 11: Outer sleeve; 111: Circular tube; 112: High prism neck flange; 12: Inner liner; 121: Inner tube; 122: Double-sided flange; 123: Rocking tube bottom; 13: Viscoelastic material; 14: Wedge-shaped rubber bearing; 15: Self-resetting energy-absorbing device; 16: Prestressed system; 2: Tower; 3: Substructure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0024] Please see the attached Figures 1 to 4 As shown, this embodiment proposes a self-resetting hybrid energy-absorbing adapter section 1 for use in a wind turbine support structure. Its function is to connect the upper tower 2 and the lower structure 3. This section is composed of the following core components: an outer sleeve 11, an inner liner 12, a viscoelastic material 13, a wedge-shaped rubber bearing 14, a self-resetting energy-absorbing device 15, and a prestressing system 16. The specific structural features are as follows: The outer sleeve 11 comprises a circular tube component 111 and a high prism neck flange 112. The high prism neck flange 112 is formed by combining a frustum and a disc, and is fixed to the bottom end of the circular tube 111 by welding.
[0025] A polygonal prismatic protrusion is provided in the middle of the truncated cone of the flange in this embodiment to enhance the shear and torsion resistance when connected to the inner liner 12; a number of screw holes are evenly distributed on the surface of the flange body, forming a composite connection structure with the polygonal prismatic protrusion.
[0026] In this embodiment, a through hole is provided in the center of the flange to ensure the continuity of the internal cable channel. The outer sides of the circular tube 111 and the high prism neck flange 112 are welded with stiffening ribs at equal intervals along the circumferential direction.
[0027] In this embodiment, a plurality of assembly screw holes are provided in the truncated cone area of the flange for installing the self-resetting energy dissipation device 15 ; a plurality of through holes are arranged in the peripheral area of the disk surface for the shuttle operation of the prestressed system 16 .
[0028] See also Figure 5-Figure 7 The inner liner 12 of this embodiment consists of an inner tube 121, a double-sided flange 122, and a rocking base 123. The inner tube 121 is cylindrical; the rocking base 123 is truncated frustum-shaped, with a polygonal through-hole defined in its center. The size and shape of this polygonal through-hole match the neck flange of the high prism neck flange 112, forming a precise interlocking structure. The rocking base 123 also has through-holes corresponding to the holes in the high prism neck flange 112, allowing the prestressed system 16 to pass through. The double-sided flange 122 is welded to the top of the inner tube 121.
[0029] See also Figure 8This embodiment further features an annular stiffening rib welded to the outside of the junction between the inner tube 121 and the double-sided flange 122. An array of bolt holes is circumferentially arranged around the outer edge of the double-sided flange 122 to facilitate docking with the flange of the upper tower. A through-hole is machined into the corresponding area on its inner side, serving as a through-hole for the prestressing system 16.
[0030] See also Figure 9 In this embodiment, the protrusion of the high-prismatic neck flange 112 of the outer sleeve 11 is inserted into the hole of the rocking base 123 of the inner liner 12, thereby providing shear and torsion resistance at the connection between the outer sleeve 11 and the inner liner 12. The high-prismatic neck flange 112 and the rocking base 123 are connected by high-strength bolts equipped with a self-resetting energy dissipation device 15. The bottom of the inner liner 12 and the bottom of the outer sleeve 11 form a wedge-shaped space, with wedge-shaped rubber bearings 14 arranged at equal intervals. Viscoelastic material 13 is equidistantly arranged between the circular tube 111 of the outer sleeve 11 and the inner tube 121 of the inner liner 12.
[0031] In this embodiment, the upper tower 2 and inner liner 12 are connected via double-sided flanges 122, while the outer sleeve 11 and lower structure 3 are connected via high-prismatic neck flanges 112. Each flange is equipped with an array of bolt holes on its exterior, allowing for fastening with high-strength bolts, facilitating assembly and disassembly. The prestressing system 16 consists of several prestressed steel strands with anchoring devices. These strands are routed through pre-reserved channels on the inside of the high-prismatic neck flange 112, the inside of the double-sided flange 122, and the rocking base 123, providing a self-resetting drive mechanism for the structural system.
[0032] Under normal load conditions, the self-resetting hybrid energy-dissipating transition section 1 dissipates energy by inducing shear deformation in the viscoelastic material 13 through relative displacement between the circular tube 111 of the outer sleeve 11 and the inner tube 121 of the inner liner 12. The simultaneous mechanical response manifests itself as a synergistic contact and extrusion effect between the high prismatic neck flange 112 at the bottom of the outer sleeve 11 and the rocking base 123 of the inner liner 12, causing the wedge-shaped rubber bearing 14 to compress and dissipate energy.
[0033] This embodiment, through the scientific configuration of the stiffness and strength of the self-resetting energy dissipation device 15, enables the wind power support structure using the self-resetting hybrid energy dissipation transition section 1 to effectively stimulate the lifting swing response of the swinging bottom 121 of the inner liner 12 under extreme load conditions. This dynamic control mechanism not only causes the nonlinear deformation to be concentrated on the self-resetting energy dissipation device 15, but also significantly enhances the shear energy dissipation effect of the wedge-shaped rubber support 14 and the viscoelastic material 13, thereby achieving efficient implementation of the composite energy dissipation mechanism. The prestressed system 16 and the self-resetting energy dissipation device 15 form a synergistic system to ensure that the structure is always in a controllable swing state. After the external dynamic load is terminated, the structure can be completely reset under the synergistic action of the prestressed system 16 and the self-resetting energy dissipation device 15.
[0034] In this embodiment, key components such as the self-resetting energy dissipation device 15, prestressing system 16, viscoelastic material 13, and wedge-shaped rubber bearings 14 are evenly spaced around the self-resetting hybrid energy dissipation transition section 1, forming an axisymmetric mechanical layout. This spatial arrangement ensures balanced and uniform seismic performance in multiple directions.
[0035] In summary, the self-resetting hybrid energy-dissipating transition section of the present invention effectively suppresses the structure's wind-induced vibration response under normal operating conditions through the synergistic dissipation effect of the viscoelastic material and wedge-shaped rubber bearings. Under extreme loads, this section triggers the structure's controlled sway mechanism, simultaneously activating the nonlinear energy dissipation characteristics of the self-resetting energy dissipation device and enhancing the energy dissipation efficiency of the viscoelastic material and wedge-shaped rubber bearings, forming a multi-stage, integrated energy dissipation system.
[0036] This invention directs structural damage toward the self-resetting hybrid energy-dissipating transition section, providing dual protection for both the upper tower and the lower load-bearing structure, facilitating post-earthquake repair and maintenance. Its notable feature is its exceptional self-resetting performance: once the external excitation is removed, the prestressed system and the self-resetting energy-dissipating device work together to provide sufficient restoring force, ensuring the structure fully returns to its original configuration.
[0037] The present invention has good assembly adaptability and can be widely used in various wind power support structure systems, including but not limited to jacket-type onshore wind power support structures, single-pile offshore wind power support structures, and jacket-type offshore wind power support structures and other engineering practices.
[0038] Through the coupling design of innovative energy dissipation mechanism and reset system, the present invention significantly improves the technical defects of traditional wind power support structure, such as limited energy dissipation capacity and insufficient deformation adaptability, and effectively improves the safety reserve and disaster resistance reliability of the structural system.
[0039] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit the same. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention.
Claims
1. A self-resetting hybrid energy-consuming adapter section for a wind power support structure, used to connect the upper tower and lower structure of a wind power support, characterized in that: It includes an outer sleeve and an inner liner, wherein the outer sleeve and the inner liner are concentrically nested to form a double-tube structure body, and a viscoelastic material is filled therebetween to form a damping layer; The top of the outer sleeve and the bottom of the inner liner are anchored with a self-resetting energy dissipation device; The outer sleeve and the inner liner penetrate the steel strands to form a prestressed system. The axial preload is applied by the self-resetting energy dissipation device, which cooperates with the damping layer to limit the relative displacement of the outer sleeve and the inner liner.
2. The self-resetting hybrid energy-consuming transition section for a wind power support structure according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The outer sleeve is composed of a circular tube and a high prism neck flange; the high prism neck flange adopts a composite structure of a truncated cone and a circular disc and is fixed to the bottom end of the circular tube by welding; A regular polygonal prism-shaped boss is provided in the central area of the frustum, which can form a shear-resistant and torsion-resistant cooperative working mechanism when assembled with the inner liner; a through-hole is reserved at the central axis position to meet the needs of internal pipeline laying.
3. The self-resetting hybrid energy-consuming transition section for a wind power support structure according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The outer sleeve is welded with stiffening ribs at equal intervals along the outer periphery of the junction between the circular tube and the high prism neck flange to enhance the structural integrity; The surface of the frustum is provided with a plurality of threaded holes in a circumferential array for installing a self-resetting energy dissipation device; the flange base area is evenly distributed with a plurality of assembly holes to form an auxiliary connection system to connect the prestressed system.
4. The self-resetting hybrid energy-consuming transition section for a wind power support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner liner is composed of an inner tube, a rocking bottom and double-sided flanges; The inner tube adopts a standard cylindrical shell structure; The bottom of the swing cylinder is a truncated conical shell structure, and a regular polygonal through hole is provided at the center of the bottom. The geometric dimensions and cross-sectional shape of the hole are strictly matched with the polygonal boss of the high prism neck flange to achieve interlocking assembly.
5. The self-resetting hybrid energy-consuming transition section for a wind power support structure according to claim 4 is characterized in that: The bottom of the cylinder is circumferentially distributed with a plurality of circular through holes at equal intervals, whose spatial coordinates completely correspond to the reserved hole positions of the high prism neck flange, ensuring smooth penetration of the prestressed system; The double-sided flange is fixed to the top socket of the inner pipe by full penetration welds, and triangular stiffening ribs are welded circumferentially on the outside of the connection area to enhance the node stiffness; The outer edge of the flange is evenly distributed with bolt connection holes for docking with the flange of the upper tower; the inner periphery is provided with an array of equal-diameter through holes to provide a through channel for the prestressed system.
6. The self-resetting hybrid energy-consuming transition section for a wind power support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wind turbine support upper tower and inner liner, outer sleeve and lower structure are all fastened together by high-strength bolts using an array of screw holes preset on the outside. The prestressed system is composed of a number of prestressed tendons equipped with anchors, which pass through the reserved channels arranged on the inner side of the high prism neck flange, the inner side of the double-sided flange and the bottom of the swing cylinder to provide self-resetting driving force for the structure.
7. The self-resetting hybrid energy-consuming transition section for a wind power support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: Under normal operating conditions, the self-resetting hybrid energy dissipation transition section drives the viscoelastic material to produce shear deformation through the relative displacement of the outer sleeve circular tube and the inner liner inner tube, thereby achieving energy dissipation; The high prismatic neck flange arranged at the bottom of the outer sleeve forms a cooperative extrusion mechanism with the rocking bottom of the inner liner, causing the wedge-shaped rubber bearing to undergo controllable deformation to complete the energy dissipation process.
8. The self-resetting hybrid energy-consuming transition section for a wind power support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stiffness parameters and strength indicators of the self-resetting energy dissipation device are designed based on the principle of ensuring that the wind power support structure equipped with the self-resetting hybrid energy dissipation transition section can generate a controllable lifting and swinging mechanism at the bottom end of the inner liner under extreme loads. The mechanical swinging behavior can concentrate the nonlinear deformation in the working range of the self-resetting energy dissipation device, and then amplify the shear energy dissipation efficiency of the wedge-shaped rubber bearing and the viscoelastic material through the leverage effect. After the self-resetting energy dissipation device enters the nonlinear stage, the stiffness is reduced, and the lifting capacity of the constrained bottom is reduced, making the rubber bearing and the viscoelastic material easier to deform, thereby forming an efficient hybrid energy dissipation mechanism.
9. The self-resetting hybrid energy-consuming transition section for a wind power support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The prestressed system and the self-resetting energy dissipation device form a mechanical coupling relationship to jointly maintain the quasi-elastic swinging motion mode of the structure. When the external dynamic excitation is eliminated, the structural system is restored to the initial equilibrium position under the combined action of the restoring force provided by the prestressed system and the self-resetting device.
10. The self-resetting hybrid energy-consuming transition section for a wind power support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The self-resetting energy dissipation device, prestressed system, viscoelastic material and wedge-shaped rubber bearing are symmetrically distributed at equal angles along the circumference of the self-resetting hybrid energy dissipation transition section, and the balanced seismic performance of the structure in all directions is ensured by the circumferentially uniform arrangement.