A new type of steel-concrete tower structure and its manufacturing and installation method

Abstract

This invention discloses a novel steel-concrete tower structure and its fabrication and installation method, comprising: a multi-segmented tower, with flanges at the top and bottom of each segment, and the flanges of adjacent segments connected by a first connecting structure; each segmented tower includes multiple sub-units, each sub-unit comprising an inner cylinder segment and a concrete outer cylinder segment, which are connected by a second connecting structure connected to the flanges; adjacent sub-units are connected by a third connecting structure, with the inner cylinder segments of each sub-unit sequentially forming an inner cylinder, and the concrete outer cylinder segments of each sub-unit sequentially forming a concrete outer cylinder. The second connecting structure between the inner cylinder and the concrete outer cylinder of this invention is simultaneously fixedly connected to the flanges at both ends of the segmented tower, ensuring a direct and unobstructed force transmission path, fundamentally avoiding interface bonding failure caused by fluctuations in grout quality and deviations in construction processes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wind power technology, specifically to a novel steel-concrete tower structure and its fabrication and installation method. Background Technology

[0002] The wind turbine tower is the supporting structure of a wind turbine generator. The steel tower is made of rolled steel plates, and its main function is to support the weight of the turbine and convert wind energy into electrical energy. The height of the steel tower depends on the size of the wind turbine and the expected wind energy resources, and can reach tens or even hundreds of meters. With the rapid development of wind turbines, steel towers need to have greater height, rigidity, and strength, leading to increasingly larger diameters of traditional steel pipe towers, continuously increasing steel wall thickness, and a significant increase in steel consumption, greatly increasing manufacturing and installation costs.

[0003] Traditional steel-concrete towers are often prefabricated in whole sections, which restricts transportation and makes hoisting difficult. However, the weakest link in a segmented steel-concrete tower is the joint interface of the concrete tower sections, which is prone to bonding failure due to fluctuations in the quality of the grouting material or deviations in the construction process. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a novel steel-concrete tower structure and its manufacturing and installation method to solve the problem that the bonding interface of the current steel-concrete tower body at the concrete tower section is prone to failure due to fluctuations in the quality of grouting material or deviations in construction process.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a novel steel-concrete tower structure, comprising: a multi-segment tower, wherein flanges are respectively provided at the top and bottom of the segmented tower, and the flanges of two adjacent segments of the segmented tower are connected by a first connecting structure. The segmented tower includes multiple segmented tower units, each segmented tower unit comprising an inner cylinder section and a concrete outer cylinder section. The inner cylinder section and the concrete outer cylinder section are connected by a second connecting structure, which is connected to a flange. Adjacent segmented tower units are connected by a third connecting structure. The inner cylinder sections of each segmented tower unit are sequentially arranged to form an inner cylinder, and the concrete outer cylinder sections of each segmented tower unit are sequentially arranged to form a concrete outer cylinder.

[0006] The beneficial effects of the above-mentioned novel steel-concrete tower structure are as follows: This invention adopts a double-cylinder combined structure of inner cylinder + concrete outer cylinder. Compared with traditional pure steel tower cylinder, under the same height and the same load-bearing stiffness requirements, there is no need to significantly increase the steel wall thickness, which can reduce the amount of steel used and effectively reduce the overall cost of manufacturing, transportation and installation, and is suitable for the high height and high load requirements of large megawatt wind turbines.

[0007] The second connection structure between the inner cylinder and the concrete outer cylinder of this invention is simultaneously fixedly connected to the flanges at both ends of the segmented tower cylinder. The force transmission path of the structure is directly connected, eliminating the need to rely on grout to achieve steel-concrete interface bonding. This fundamentally avoids the interface bonding failure caused by grout quality fluctuations and construction process deviations, and significantly improves the stability and service life of the overall tower structure.

[0008] This invention adopts a modular design, and the size of the segmented tower unit is much smaller than that of the whole prefabricated tower. It does not require special extra-wide / extra-high transport vehicles, and at the same time reduces the tonnage requirements for on-site hoisting. Assembly can be completed without large-tonnage hoisting equipment, making it suitable for scenarios with limited transportation and hoisting conditions, such as mountainous areas and remote wind farms.

[0009] The segmented tower unit of this invention can at least partially achieve standardized prefabrication in the factory, adapting to the needs of wind turbine units of different capacities. At the same time, the on-site splicing process is simple, and the construction cycle can be significantly shortened compared to the whole prefabricated or fully cast-in-place tower.

[0010] The technical solution is further optimized, and the inner cylinder section includes: The inner side plates are arranged along the axial direction, and the inner side plates of each segmented tower unit are spliced ​​together in sequence to form an annular cylinder. Two side end plates are respectively arranged on the side of the inner side plate, extending radially outward.

[0011] To further optimize the technical solution, flanges are provided at the top and bottom of the inner side plate, and multiple first connection holes are provided on the flanges. The first connection structure passes through the first connection holes to achieve precise axial docking between each section of the tower, effectively ensuring the coaxiality of each section of the tower and avoiding installation deviations from affecting the overall structural stability. The flange includes an outer ring plate and multiple reinforcing plates; the outer ring plate is disposed around the inner side plate, and the multiple reinforcing plates are connected between the outer ring plate and the inner side plate, dividing the space between the outer ring plate and the inner side plate into multiple reserved holes; the inner side plate, the two flanges, and the two side end plates are adapted to form a casting space with the template disposed around the inner side plate, and the reserved holes are connected to the casting space.

[0012] The beneficial effects of the above technical solution are as follows: Multiple reinforcing plates arranged between the outer ring plate and the inner side plate enhance the connection strength between them. Simultaneously, by rationally dividing the space of the reserved holes, evenly distributed pouring openings are provided for subsequent concrete pouring, ensuring that the concrete can fully penetrate the pouring area between the outer ring plate and the inner side plate. This results in a tight bond between the formed concrete outer cylinder section and the metal structure of the tower unit, jointly bearing the vertical loads, horizontal wind loads, and seismic forces generated during wind turbine operation, significantly improving the overall stiffness and stability of the new steel-concrete tower structure. Furthermore, the reinforcing plates also serve to support the formwork and prevent deformation during concrete pouring.

[0013] The technical solution is further optimized by installing a reinforcing pipe in at least one of the reserved holes. The sidewalls of the reinforcing pipe are fixedly connected to the outer ring plate, the inner side plate, and the reinforcing plate, respectively, which effectively enhances the structural rigidity of the area surrounding the reserved hole. At the same time, the reliable fixed connection between the reinforcing pipe and the outer ring plate, the inner side plate, and the reinforcing plate further strengthens the synergistic load-bearing performance inside the metal structure. This makes the load transfer between the metal components and the concrete more uniform and smooth after the concrete is poured, significantly improving the overall bearing capacity and deformation resistance of the tower foundation, and providing a solid structural guarantee for the long-term stable operation of the wind turbine.

[0014] To further optimize the technical solution, the side end plate is provided with multiple through holes spaced apart along the axial direction, and the through holes are connected to the casting space.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the above technical solution are as follows: Firstly, the arrangement of through holes can reduce the amount of steel used and lighten the weight of the segmented tower units. Secondly, the concrete passes through the through holes, and after the concrete solidifies, concrete connectors are formed. The concrete outer cylinder sections of two adjacent segmented tower units can be connected through these connectors, thereby forming a cohesive structural structure with synergistic load-bearing capacity. This effectively improves the axial and radial load-bearing capacity of the new steel-concrete tower structure, ensures the long-term stability of the connection between the wind turbine foundation and the tower, and meets the structural safety requirements of the wind turbine under complex operating conditions.

[0016] To further optimize the technical solution, the side end plate is provided with an extension portion extending radially outward, and the extension portion is provided with a plurality of third connection holes arranged axially at intervals; the third connection structure passes through the third connection holes on the side end plates of the two segmented tower units to connect the two adjacent segmented tower units.

[0017] The technical solution is further optimized, and the second connection structure includes: Multiple connecting components are provided, which are axially arranged on the flange and located around the outer periphery of the concrete outer cylinder section and connected to the concrete outer cylinder section through a second locking member.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the above technical solution are as follows: the flange is connected to the concrete outer cylinder section through the second connection structure, and the flange is also connected to the inner cylinder section, thereby realizing the connection between the inner cylinder section and the concrete outer cylinder section, so that the inner cylinder section and the concrete outer cylinder section form a reliable cooperative force-bearing system, effectively transmitting axial load and radial load.

[0019] Further optimizing the technical solution, the diameter of the segmented tower gradually decreases from bottom to top, resulting in a gradual reduction in the size of each segment of the steel-concrete tower. The larger diameter at the bottom provides stronger vertical load-bearing capacity and anti-overturning stability, effectively distributing the load transferred from the foundation. The smaller diameter at the top significantly reduces the wind resistance coefficient, reducing the lateral force of wind loads on the tower. Simultaneously, the decreasing diameter of the segmented tower as the height increases results in lighter and more compact components for high-altitude installation, facilitating transportation, hoisting, and on-site assembly, reducing construction difficulty and safety risks, and improving installation efficiency.

[0020] Secondly, the present invention provides a novel method for fabricating and installing a steel-concrete tower structure, comprising the following steps: S1. Fabricate segmented tower sections using any of the following methods: Route 1: Install flanges at the top and bottom of the inner cylinder section of the segmented tower unit, install a second connecting structure on the flanges, install templates at corresponding positions on the outside of the inner cylinder section, pour concrete outer cylinder section, connect the inner cylinder section and concrete outer cylinder section through the second connecting structure to obtain an integrated segmented tower unit, transport the segmented tower unit to the site; then, sequentially splice the segmented tower units of the same segment and connect them through a third connecting structure to form a complete segmented tower. Path 2: Prefabricate the inner cylinder section of the segmented tower unit, and splice the inner cylinder sections of the same segmented tower unit to form a complete inner cylinder. Connect the flange with the second connection structure to the inner cylinder of the segmented tower unit, set the template at the corresponding position on the outside of the inner cylinder, and pour the concrete outer cylinder on site, so that the inner cylinder, the concrete outer cylinder and the second connection structure are poured into an integral segmented tower. S2. Overall tower assembly: The multiple sections of the tower are connected sequentially along the axial direction, and the adjacent sections are fixed by the first connecting structure to obtain a complete new steel-concrete tower structure.

[0021] To further optimize the technical solution, in step S1, when the concrete outer cylinder is poured on site, the concrete injected into the inner cylinder of the segmented tower flows to the adjacent inner cylinder section through the through hole. After the concrete solidifies, a concrete connector is formed, and the two adjacent concrete outer cylinder sections are connected by the concrete connector.

[0022] Compared with existing methods that increase the height and wall thickness of steel towers to meet the multi-megawatt requirements of wind turbine units, the advantages of the novel steel-concrete tower structure of this invention are: The present invention features a simple structure. By splicing together segmented tower sections combining steel plates and concrete, a stable ring-shaped steel-concrete tower structure is formed. This improves the rigidity and strength of the original steel tower without increasing the tower wall thickness or height, while meeting the load-bearing capacity requirements of the wind turbine unit and effectively reducing the amount of steel used in the tower. Simultaneously, the segmented design facilitates transportation and effectively reduces the transport space required for the tower. Installing bolts on the connecting components before pouring concrete effectively increases the connection strength between the steel plates and concrete, avoiding the uncertainties associated with using grouting materials to connect the steel-concrete tower structure. This novel structure is low-cost, provides sufficient load-bearing capacity, and is relatively convenient and quick in terms of manufacturing processes, material transportation, and construction.

[0023] This invention eliminates the need for prestressed cable structures, thus avoiding the problems associated with prestressed cables. Instead, it utilizes reinforcing tubes within the concrete tower structure to increase vertical stiffness. Furthermore, the bolted connections between the concrete tower sections on the connecting components effectively avoid the drawbacks of grout-bonded joints, and facilitate on-site construction and installation. The segmented structure also improves transportation and solves the problems of limited transport and difficult hoisting inherent in traditional concrete towers. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 An elevation view of a novel steel-concrete tower structure provided by the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 AA-direction cross section; Figure 3 An internal cross-sectional view of a novel steel-concrete tower structure provided by the present invention; Figure 4 This invention provides a schematic diagram of the top plan of a segmented steel-concrete tower structure. Figure 5 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a segmented tower unit of a novel steel-concrete tower structure provided by the present invention; Figure 6 This is a partial three-dimensional schematic diagram of a segmented tower section of a novel steel-concrete tower structure provided by the present invention.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Segmented tower section; 11. Segmented tower unit; 110. Inner cylinder section; 1101. Inner side plate; 1102. Reinforcing pipe; 1103. Side end plate; 1104. Third connecting hole; 111. Concrete outer cylinder section; 112. Through hole; 113. Concrete outer cylinder; 12. Flange; 121. Outer ring plate; 122. Reinforcing plate; 124. First connecting hole; 125. Reserved hole; 13. Second connecting structure; 131. Connecting component; 132. Second locking component; 14. First connecting structure; 15. Third connecting structure. 2. Fan foundation; 3. Cabin; 4. Wheel hub; 5. Leaves; 6. Steel tower. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] The wind turbine tower is the supporting structure of a wind turbine generator. The steel tower is made of rolled steel plates, and its main function is to support the weight of the turbine and convert wind energy into electrical energy. The height of the steel tower depends on the size of the wind turbine and the expected wind energy resources, and can reach tens or even hundreds of meters. With the rapid development of wind turbines, steel towers need to have greater height, rigidity, and strength, leading to increasingly larger diameters of traditional steel pipe towers, continuously increasing steel wall thickness, and a significant increase in steel consumption, greatly increasing manufacturing and installation costs.

[0029] The weakest point of a steel-concrete tower is the joint interface of the concrete tower sections, which is prone to bonding failure due to fluctuations in the quality of the grout or deviations in the construction process. Traditional steel-concrete towers are often prefabricated in whole sections, which restricts transportation and makes hoisting difficult. In addition, when prefabricating concrete tower sections in the factory, formwork for the concrete tower sections needs to be made according to different wind turbine capacities. As the capacity increases, the formwork also needs to be constantly updated and changed, which increases the production cost of the concrete tower sections. The formwork is not suitable for the capacity of most wind turbines. Furthermore, the joint interface using grout bonding cannot guarantee the construction quality and is prone to deviations. At present, there is no equipment or method for real-time monitoring or quality inspection of the joint interface. Therefore, the construction quality affects the structural performance of the concrete tower.

[0030] Prestressed cables are commonly found in concrete tower structures and are core components of these structures. As the towers operate for extended periods, prestress loss is inevitable, leading to fatigue failure. This causes a gradual softening of the tower's overall stiffness, affecting its dynamic characteristics and increasing the risk of resonance with the wind turbine. Once one prestressed cable breaks, it can affect the others. Furthermore, the failure of prestressed cables exhibits brittle fracture characteristics, meaning that early warnings are often inadequate, potentially resulting in more severe consequences.

[0031] Based on this, in order to solve the problem that the steel tower needs to increase in rigidity, height and strength to meet the requirements of larger megawatt wind turbine units, resulting in increased steel consumption and manufacturing and installation costs, and to solve the problem that steel-concrete towers are connected only with grouting material, this invention provides a new type of steel-concrete tower structure with good economy and convenient construction, as well as its installation and manufacturing method.

[0032] The present invention features a simple structure. By splicing together segmented tower sections combining steel plates and concrete, a stable ring-shaped steel-concrete tower structure is formed. This improves the rigidity and strength of the original steel tower without increasing the tower wall thickness or height, while meeting the load-bearing capacity requirements of the wind turbine unit and effectively reducing the amount of steel used in the tower. Simultaneously, the segmented design facilitates transportation and effectively reduces the transport space required for the tower. Installing bolts on the connecting components before pouring concrete effectively increases the connection strength between the steel plates and concrete, avoiding the uncertainties associated with using grouting materials to connect the steel-concrete tower structure. This novel structure is low-cost, provides sufficient load-bearing capacity, and is relatively convenient and quick in terms of manufacturing processes, material transportation, and construction.

[0033] This invention eliminates the need for prestressed cable structures, thus avoiding the problems associated with prestressed cables. Instead, it utilizes reinforcing tubes within the concrete tower structure to increase vertical stiffness. Furthermore, the use of L-shaped steel plate bolts to connect the concrete tower sections effectively avoids the drawbacks of grout-bonded joints and facilitates on-site installation. The segmented structure also improves transportability and solves the problems of limited transport and difficult hoisting inherent in traditional concrete towers.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in a first aspect, in conjunction with Figures 1 to 6 As shown, a novel steel-concrete tower structure is provided, including multiple segmented tower sections 1. Flanges 12 are respectively provided at the top and bottom of the segmented tower sections 1, and the flanges 12 of two adjacent segmented tower sections 1 are connected by a first connecting structure 14.

[0035] The segmented tower 1 includes multiple segmented tower units 11. Each segmented tower unit 11 includes an inner cylinder section 110 and a concrete outer cylinder section 111. The inner cylinder section 110 and the concrete outer cylinder section 111 are connected by a second connecting structure 13, which is connected to a flange 12. Adjacent segmented tower units 11 are connected by a third connecting structure 15. The inner cylinder sections 110 of each segmented tower unit 11 are sequentially arranged to form an inner cylinder, and the concrete outer cylinder sections 111 of each segmented tower unit 11 are sequentially arranged to form a concrete outer cylinder 113.

[0036] It should be noted that the inner cylinder section 110 is a steel structure. After the inner cylinder and the concrete outer cylinder 113 are connected by the second connecting structure 13, a steel-concrete tower structure is formed, which can effectively improve the overall load-bearing capacity and deformation resistance of the tower, and is especially suitable for wind turbine tower scenarios with high load and large height.

[0037] The segmented tower 1 includes multiple segmented tower units 11. Optionally, the segmented tower 1 may have four, five, six, or more segments, the specific number of which can be determined comprehensively based on the tower's design diameter, transportation constraints, and on-site assembly efficiency. For example, when the tower diameter is large, using more segmented tower units can reduce the size and weight of each segment, facilitating transportation; while when the diameter is small, fewer segments can reduce on-site splicing procedures and increase installation speed.

[0038] This embodiment adopts a double-cylinder combined structure of inner cylinder + concrete outer cylinder. Compared with the traditional pure steel tower, under the same height and the same load-bearing stiffness requirements, there is no need to significantly increase the steel wall thickness, which can reduce the amount of steel used and effectively reduce the overall cost of manufacturing, transportation and installation, and is suitable for the high height and high load requirements of large megawatt wind turbines.

[0039] In this embodiment, the second connection structure 13 between the inner cylinder and the concrete outer cylinder is simultaneously fixedly connected to the flanges 12 at both ends of the segmented tower cylinder. The structural force transmission path is directly connected, eliminating the need to rely on grout to achieve steel-concrete interface bonding. This fundamentally avoids the interface bonding failure caused by grout quality fluctuations and construction process deviations, and significantly improves the stability and service life of the overall tower structure.

[0040] This embodiment adopts a modular design, and the size of the segmented tower unit 11 after disassembly is much smaller than that of the whole prefabricated tower. It does not require special ultra-wide / ultra-high transport vehicles, and at the same time reduces the tonnage requirements for on-site hoisting. Assembly can be completed without large-tonnage hoisting equipment, making it suitable for scenarios with limited transportation and hoisting conditions, such as mountainous areas and remote wind farms.

[0041] In this embodiment, the segmented tower unit can be at least partially prefabricated in the factory to meet the needs of wind turbines of different capacities. At the same time, the on-site splicing process is simple, and the construction cycle can be significantly shortened compared to the whole prefabricated or fully cast-in-place tower.

[0042] This embodiment does not limit the specific structure of the inner cylinder section 110 and the concrete outer cylinder section 111, because the specific structure of the inner cylinder section 110 and the concrete outer cylinder section 111 can be selectively arranged according to actual conditions.

[0043] The relative positional relationship and connection relationship between the inner cylinder section and the concrete outer cylinder section 111 in this embodiment, as well as the specific structure of the inner cylinder section, will be described in detail below.

[0044] In some embodiments, the inner cylinder section includes an inner side plate 1101 and two side end plates 1103. The inner side plate 1101 is arranged in the axial direction. The inner side plates 1101 of each segmented tower unit 11 are sequentially spliced ​​to form an annular cylinder. The two side end plates 1103 extend radially outward and are respectively disposed on the side of the inner side plate 1101.

[0045] It should be noted that axial direction refers to the direction parallel to the central axis of the inner cylinder. Radial direction refers to the direction perpendicular to the central axis of the inner cylinder. The inner side plate 1101 can be arc-shaped or straight. When the inner side plate 1101 is arc-shaped, the inner side plates 1101 of each segmented tower unit 11 are sequentially spliced ​​to form a circular cylinder, which can adapt to the circular outline of the wind turbine foundation. When the inner side plate 1101 is straight, the inner side plates 1101 of each segmented tower unit 11 can be sequentially spliced ​​to form a polygonal cylinder (such as a square, regular hexagon, or other regular polygons). This structure facilitates segmented processing and transportation, and is especially suitable for scenarios with limited site space or high requirements for ease of construction.

[0046] During the pouring process, a template is set around the inner side plate 1101, and the template must form a pouring cavity with the inner side plate 1101. After the concrete is poured and reaches the design strength, the outer template is removed. At this time, the outer side of the segmented tower unit 11 will form a regular surface that is consistent with the shape of the template.

[0047] In addition, it should be noted that the specific structure of the inner cylinder section is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0048] In some embodiments, the flange 12 is provided with a plurality of first connecting holes 124, and the first connecting structure 14 passes through the first connecting holes 124, so that the flanges 12 of two adjacent sections of the tower cylinder 1 are connected by the first connecting structure 14, thereby achieving precise axial alignment between the sections of the tower cylinder 1, effectively ensuring the coaxiality of each section of the tower cylinder 1, and avoiding installation deviations from affecting the overall structural stability. At the same time, the design of the corresponding hole positions facilitates quick positioning and installation, simplifies the construction process, reduces the difficulty of on-site operations, and also provides convenience for disassembly and component replacement during later maintenance.

[0049] In some embodiments, the side end plate 1103 is provided with an extension portion that extends radially outward along the side end plate 1103, and the extension portion is provided with a plurality of third connecting holes 1104 arranged axially at intervals. When the side end plates 1103 of two adjacent segmented tower units 11 are connected, the third connecting structure 15 passes through the third connecting holes 1104 on the side end plates 1103 of the two segmented tower units 11 to connect the two adjacent segmented tower units 11, ensuring that the segmented tower units form a continuous and stable circumferential structure after splicing, effectively dispersing the local stress under the action of external forces such as wind load and seismic load, and improving the structural stability and fatigue resistance of the overall tower.

[0050] Meanwhile, the radial extension design of the extension section and the axially spaced third connecting holes 1104 facilitate construction personnel to quickly align the holes on site for connection operations, simplifying the splicing process of the segmented units and improving assembly efficiency. If it is necessary to inspect or replace parts of the tower section later, the segmented units can also be easily separated by disassembling the third connecting structure 15, reducing maintenance costs and operational difficulty.

[0051] The third connection structure 15 can be a high-strength bolt assembly, including bolts, nuts and anti-loosening washers. Its specifications are precisely matched with the size of the third connection hole. It can ensure a tight fit between the side end plates of adjacent segmented tower units by applying pre-tightening force, thereby improving the structural strength and stability of the connection.

[0052] In some embodiments, the flange 12 includes an outer ring plate 121 and a plurality of reinforcing plates 122. The outer ring plate 121 is disposed around the inner side plate 1101, and the plurality of reinforcing plates 122 are connected between the outer ring plate 121 and the inner side plate 1101, dividing the space between the outer ring plate 121 and the inner side plate 1101 into a plurality of reserved holes 125. The inner side plate 1101, the two flanges 12, and the two side end plates 1103 are adapted to form a casting space with a template disposed around the inner side plate 1101, and the reserved holes 125 communicate with the casting space. By pouring concrete into the reserved holes 125, the poured concrete fills the reserved holes 125, and after the concrete solidifies, a concrete outer cylinder section is formed.

[0053] In this embodiment, multiple reinforcing plates 122 arranged between the outer ring plate 121 and the inner side plate 1101 enhance the connection strength between them. Simultaneously, by rationally dividing the spatial layout of the reserved holes 125, evenly distributed pouring openings are provided for subsequent concrete pouring, ensuring that concrete can fully penetrate the pouring area between the outer ring plate 121 and the inner side plate 1101. This results in a tight bond between the formed concrete outer cylinder section and the metal structure of the tower unit, collaboratively bearing the vertical loads, horizontal wind loads, and seismic forces generated during wind turbine operation, significantly improving the overall stiffness and stability of the novel steel-concrete tower structure. Furthermore, the reinforcing plates 122 also serve to support the formwork and prevent deformation during concrete pouring.

[0054] In addition, the reinforcing plate 122 can extend along the axial direction of the inner side plate 1101, thereby dividing the concrete outer cylinder section into multiple separate concrete outer cylinder section units. Each concrete outer cylinder section unit is directly connected to the reinforcing plate 122, which can effectively improve the structural strength and alleviate the problem of the gravity of the concrete outer cylinder section concentrating towards the bottom of the tower in the undivided state.

[0055] In some embodiments, at least one reserved hole 125 is provided with a reinforcing pipe 1102. The sidewall of the reinforcing pipe 1102 is fixedly connected to the outer ring plate 121, the inner side plate 1101 and the reinforcing plate 122 respectively, which effectively enhances the structural rigidity of the area around the reserved hole. At the same time, the reliable fixed connection between the reinforcing pipe 1102 and the outer ring plate 121, the inner side plate 1101 and the reinforcing plate 122 further strengthens the synergistic stress performance inside the metal structure, so that after the concrete is poured, the load transfer between the metal components and the concrete is more uniform and smooth, which significantly improves the overall bearing capacity and deformation resistance of the tower foundation, and provides a solid structural guarantee for the long-term stable operation of the wind turbine.

[0056] It should be noted that the reinforcing tube 1102 can be a solid tube or a hollow tube, and can be square or round. The choice of type depends on the actual engineering requirements: when high structural strength is required, solid tubes are preferred to provide stronger support; if it is necessary to reduce the structural weight while ensuring the smooth flow of concrete pouring channels, hollow tubes are a better choice. The flat sidewalls of square tubes facilitate welding with the outer ring plate, inner side plate, and reinforcing plate, improving the strength of the connection; round tubes can distribute stress more evenly, effectively reducing local stress concentration and enhancing fatigue resistance. In addition, the material of the reinforcing tube should be consistent with that of components such as flange 12 and reinforcing plate 122 to ensure welding compatibility and consistency of the overall mechanical properties of the structure.

[0057] In an optional embodiment, the reinforcing pipe 1102 is a vertical steel component, and its height is the same as that of the inner side plate 1101, enabling the reinforcing pipe and the top and bottom of the inner side plate to form a flush connection interface. Furthermore, after concrete pouring, the reinforcing pipe 1102 and the inner side plate 1101 together form a continuous vertical support system, further enhancing the shear and bending resistance of the tower foundation.

[0058] Optionally, the sidewalls of the reinforcing tube 1102 are welded and fixed to the outer ring plate 121, the inner side plate 1101, and the reinforcing plate 122, respectively. The reinforcing plates 122 are welded to both sides of the outside of the reinforcing tube 1102. The reinforcing plates 122 are vertical rectangular steel plates with evenly spaced holes for connection with the poured concrete, thereby enhancing the connection strength between the reinforcing tube 1102 and the concrete.

[0059] Furthermore, the reinforcing pipe 1102 is positioned in the center of the segmented tower unit 11, so that its supporting effect on the segmented tower unit is uniform and symmetrical, avoiding local stress concentration caused by eccentric arrangement.

[0060] In some embodiments, the side end plate 1103 is provided with a plurality of through holes 112 spaced apart along the axial direction, and the through holes 112 communicate with the casting space. Firstly, the arrangement of the through holes 112 can reduce the amount of steel used and lighten the weight of the segmented tower unit 11. Secondly, the concrete passes through the through holes, and after the concrete solidifies, concrete connectors are formed. Adjacent segments of the concrete outer cylinder section 111 can be connected through these concrete connectors, thereby forming a cohesive structural structure with synergistic force distribution between adjacent segments of the tower unit 11. This effectively improves the axial and radial load-bearing capacity of the new steel-concrete tower structure, ensures the long-term stability of the connection between the wind turbine foundation and the tower, and meets the structural safety requirements of the wind turbine under complex operating conditions.

[0061] It should be noted that the shape of the through hole 112 can be rectangular, circular, or other shapes. This embodiment does not limit the specific shape of the through hole 112.

[0062] In some embodiments, the second connection structure 13 includes a plurality of connecting members 131, which are axially disposed on the flange 12. The connecting members 131 are located around the concrete outer cylinder section 111 and are connected to the concrete outer cylinder section 111 by a second locking member 132.

[0063] In this embodiment, flange 12 is connected to the concrete outer cylinder section 111 via a second connecting structure 13, and flange 12 is also connected to the inner cylinder section 110, thereby achieving the connection between the inner cylinder section 110 and the concrete outer cylinder section 111. This allows the inner cylinder section 110 and the concrete outer cylinder section 111 to form a reliable cooperative force-bearing system, effectively transmitting axial and radial loads. Specifically, multiple connecting members 131 are provided and evenly distributed along the circumference of flange 12. One end of each member is fastened to a pre-set connection point on the outer wall of the concrete outer cylinder section 111 via a second locking member 132, while the other end is fixedly connected to flange 12, ensuring the connection strength between flange 12 and the concrete outer cylinder section 111. At the same time, flange 12 and inner cylinder section 110 can be tightly joined by welding or bolting, further strengthening the integration of the inner and outer cylinders and improving the overall structural stability and wind and earthquake resistance of the tower.

[0064] The second locking element 132 can be a high-strength bolt. The second locking element 132 can be directly driven into the concrete outer cylinder section 111 after the concrete outer cylinder section 111 is poured, or it can be pre-embedded in the concrete outer cylinder section 111 during the pouring process.

[0065] Furthermore, the arrangement of the connecting member 131 corresponds to the arrangement of the reinforcing plate 122, that is, the connecting member 131 is connected at the junction of the reinforcing plate 122 and the outer ring plate 121, and the connecting member 131 and the reinforcing plate 122 form an "L-shape". The L-shaped cooperative force-bearing form significantly enhances the shear stiffness and bearing capacity of the connection part, making the force transmission path between the flange 12 and the concrete outer cylinder section 111 smoother. Under complex working conditions such as wind load and seismic load, it can effectively resist the deformation of the connection area, further improve the overall stability and durability of the new steel-concrete tower structure, and ensure the reliable operation of the cooperative force-bearing system of the inner and outer cylinder sections.

[0066] In some embodiments, the diameter of the segmented tower 1 gradually decreases from bottom to top, thus the segmented sections of each steel-concrete tower also gradually decrease in size. The larger diameter at the bottom provides stronger vertical load-bearing capacity and anti-overturning stability, effectively dispersing the load transferred from the foundation. The smaller diameter at the top significantly reduces the drag coefficient and reduces the lateral force of wind load on the tower. Simultaneously, the decreasing diameter of the segmented tower 1 with increasing height results in lighter and more compact components for high-altitude installation, facilitating transportation, hoisting, and on-site assembly, reducing construction difficulty and safety risks, and improving installation efficiency. Furthermore, the gradual structural design optimizes material usage and avoids unnecessary material waste. This embodiment solves the problem of increased tower wall thickness and workload caused by increased tower height, stiffness, and strength. Depending on the wind turbine tower parameters, the number of tower segments, the height of each segment, and the size and diameter of each segment also vary.

[0067] The aforementioned novel steel-concrete tower structure has a bottom section 1 connected to a wind turbine foundation 2, and a top section 1 connected to a steel tower 6. The top of the steel tower 6 is connected to a nacelle 3, and the nacelle 3 is connected to blades 5 via a hub 4.

[0068] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in a second aspect, a novel method for fabricating and installing a steel-concrete tower structure is provided, comprising the following steps: S1. Fabricate segmented tower 1 using any of the following methods: Path 1: Install flanges 12 at the top and bottom of the inner cylinder section 110 of the segmented tower unit 11, install a second connecting structure 13 on the flanges 12, install templates at corresponding positions on the outside of the inner cylinder section 110, pour concrete outer cylinder section, connect the inner cylinder section 110 and concrete outer cylinder section 111 through the second connecting structure 13 to obtain an integrated segmented tower unit 11, transport the segmented tower unit 11 to the site; splice the segmented tower units 11 of the same segment in sequence and connect them through the third connecting structure to form a complete segmented tower 1.

[0069] Taking a segmented tower section 1 with four segmented tower units 11 as an example, the specific steps are as follows: Rollers are used to continuously roll and press the surface of the steel plate to form the segmented inner side plate 1101; side end plates 1103 are evenly arranged on both sides of the inner side plate 1101 for connection with other segmented steel tower sections. The side end plate 1103 can be an integral structure or a combination of multiple "L-shaped" steel plates and multiple flange plates welded together; "L-shaped" steel plates are evenly spaced at a certain distance on the upper and lower sides of the inner side plate 1101. The system includes a connecting member 131 and a reinforcing plate 122, with pre-drilled holes in the connecting member 131 to facilitate bolt connection with the concrete tower, thereby increasing the connectivity between the concrete and the steel plate structure. At the same time, outer ring plates 121 are installed on the upper and lower sides of the inner side plate 1101 for connecting the segmented steel-concrete tower. A template is set around the segmented steel tower, and the concrete outer cylinder segment 111 is poured on site. The segmented steel tower is connected to the concrete outer cylinder segment 111 using bolts to obtain an integrated segmented tower unit 11.

[0070] In this step, the inner side plate 1101 of the 1 / 4 segment, the flange 12 on top, the "L-shaped" steel plates on the sides, top, and bottom, and the welded reinforcing pipes are all fabricated to form a complete steel tower section. Bolts are then installed in the pre-drilled holes in the "L-shaped" steel plates, where the inner width of the steel plate at the pre-drilled hole location matches the thickness of the concrete tower. Afterward, formwork is erected on the steel tower, and concrete is poured in-situ between the 1 / 4 segment steel plates and the formwork to form a new type of steel-concrete tower structure, thus completing the fabrication of the 1 / 4 segment steel-concrete structure. Each segment steel-concrete tower is then fabricated using the same method. After the segment steel-concrete towers are fabricated in the factory, four 1 / 4 segment steel-concrete towers are bolted together on-site using flanges to assemble them into a set of segment steel-concrete tower structures. Finally, each assembled set of segment steel-concrete towers is connected using flanges and bolts.

[0071] Path 2: Prefabricate the inner cylinder section 110 of the segmented tower unit 11. Assemble and splice the inner cylinder sections 110 of the same segmented tower unit 11 to form a complete inner cylinder. Connect the flange 12, equipped with the second connecting structure 13, to the inner cylinder of the segmented tower unit 11. Set up templates at corresponding positions on the outside of the inner cylinder, and cast the concrete outer cylinder on-site, so that the inner cylinder, the concrete outer cylinder, and the second connecting structure 13 are cast as an integral segmented tower 1. The concrete outer cylinder 113 is cast as a whole with the inner cylinder and the flange 12, strengthening the connection strength between components and improving the overall load-bearing capacity and wind and earthquake resistance of the tower. The segmented structure facilitates transportation and is especially suitable for on-site assembly in complex terrains such as mountainous and hilly areas, reducing reliance on large hoisting equipment and further reducing construction costs and safety risks.

[0072] S2. Overall tower assembly: The multiple sections of tower 1 are connected sequentially along the axial direction, and the adjacent sections of tower 1 are fixed by the first connecting structure 14 to obtain a complete new steel-concrete tower structure.

[0073] In step S1, during the on-site pouring of the concrete outer cylinder in path two, the concrete injected into the inner cylinder of the segmented tower 1 flows through the through hole 112 to the adjacent inner cylinder section 110. After the concrete solidifies, it forms a concrete connector, which connects the two adjacent concrete outer cylinder sections. This allows the adjacent concrete outer cylinder sections to form a continuous and stable integral connection, effectively enhancing the circumferential and axial stiffness of the segmented tower and improving the overall stability of the structure. At the same time, the concrete connector forms an integrated structure with the inner cylinder, outer cylinder, and flange 12, which can uniformly transfer the load, reduce stress concentration, and further optimize the wind resistance, earthquake resistance, and fatigue resistance of the tower. In addition, there is no need to set up additional metal connectors, which simplifies the construction process, reduces material costs and installation difficulty, and is more suitable for on-site construction needs in complex terrain.

[0074] It should be noted that the steel-concrete tower structure is segmented for ease of transportation. If the wind turbine capacity is small and the tower diameter is small, it can be divided into 1 / 2 segments or not segmented at all, and the segmented steel-concrete tower can be directly manufactured in the factory.

[0075] Compared with existing methods that increase the height and wall thickness of steel towers to meet the multi-megawatt requirements of wind turbine units, the advantages of the novel steel-concrete tower structure of this invention are: The present invention features a simple structure. By splicing together segmented tower sections combining steel plates and concrete, a stable ring-shaped steel-concrete tower structure system is formed. This improves the rigidity and strength of the original steel tower without increasing the tower wall thickness or height, meeting the load-bearing requirements of the wind turbine unit and effectively reducing the amount of steel used in the tower. Simultaneously, the segmented design facilitates transportation and effectively reduces the transport space required for the tower. Installing bolts on the connecting components before pouring concrete effectively increases the connection strength between the steel plates and concrete, avoiding the uncertainties associated with using grout to connect the steel-concrete tower structure. This novel structure is low-cost, provides sufficient load-bearing capacity, and is relatively convenient and quick in terms of manufacturing processes, material transportation, and construction.

[0076] This invention avoids the problems associated with prestressed cables by not using them. Instead, it increases vertical stiffness by incorporating reinforcing tubes within the concrete tower structure. Furthermore, connecting the concrete tower sections with bolts on the connecting components effectively avoids the drawbacks of grout-bonded joints and facilitates on-site installation. The segmented structure also improves transportability and solves the problems of limited transport and difficult hoisting associated with traditional concrete towers.

[0077] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications and variations all fall within the scope defined by the above embodiments.

Claims

1. A novel steel-concrete tower structure, characterized in that, include: A multi-segment tower (1) is provided with flanges (12) at the top and bottom of the segmented tower (1), and the flanges (12) of two adjacent segments of the segmented tower (1) are connected by a first connection structure. The segmented tower (1) includes multiple segmented tower units (11), each segmented tower unit (11) including an inner cylinder section (110) and a concrete outer cylinder section (111). The inner cylinder section (110) and the concrete outer cylinder section (111) are connected by a second connecting structure (13), which is connected to a flange (12). Two adjacent segmented tower units (11) are connected by a third connecting structure. The inner cylinder section (110) of each segmented tower unit (11) is sequentially arranged to form an inner cylinder, and the concrete outer cylinder section (111) of each segmented tower unit (11) is sequentially arranged to form a concrete outer cylinder.

2. The novel steel-concrete tower structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner cylinder section includes: The inner side plate (1101) is arranged along the axial direction, and the inner side plates (1101) of each segmented tower unit (11) are spliced ​​together in sequence to form an annular cylinder; Two side end plates (1103) are respectively arranged on the side of the inner side plate (1101) extending radially outward.

3. The novel steel-concrete tower structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The top and bottom ends of the inner side plate (1101) are respectively provided with flanges (12), and the flanges (12) are provided with a plurality of first connection holes (124), and the first connection structure passes through the first connection holes (124). The flange (12) includes an outer ring plate (121) and a plurality of reinforcing plates (122); the outer ring plate (121) is disposed around the inner side plate (1101), and the plurality of reinforcing plates (122) are connected between the outer ring plate (121) and the inner side plate (1101) and divide the space between the outer ring plate (121) and the inner side plate (1101) into a plurality of reserved holes (125); the inner side plate (1101), the two flanges (12) and the two side end plates (1103) are adapted to form a casting space with the template disposed around the inner side plate (1101), and the reserved holes (125) are connected to the casting space.

4. The novel steel-concrete tower structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, At least one of the reserved holes (125) is provided with a reinforcing tube (1102), and the sidewall of the reinforcing tube (1102) is fixedly connected to the outer ring plate (121), the inner side plate (1101) and the reinforcing plate (122) respectively.

5. The novel steel-concrete tower structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The side end plate (1103) is provided with a plurality of through holes (112) spaced apart along the axial direction, and the through holes (112) are connected to the casting space.

6. The novel steel-concrete tower structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The side end plate (1103) is provided with an extension portion extending radially outward, and the extension portion is provided with a plurality of third connection holes (1104) arranged axially at intervals; the third connection structure passes through the third connection holes (1104) on the side end plates (1103) of the two segmented tower units (11) to connect the two adjacent segmented tower units (11).

7. The novel steel-concrete tower structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second connection structure (13) includes: Multiple connecting members (131) are arranged axially on the flange (12). The connecting members (131) are located around the concrete outer cylinder section (111) and connected to the concrete outer cylinder section (111) through a second locking member (132).

8. The novel steel-concrete tower structure according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The diameter of the segmented tower (1) gradually decreases from bottom to top.

9. A novel method for fabricating and installing a steel-concrete tower structure, characterized in that, The method described is a method for fabricating and installing the novel steel-concrete tower structure as described in any one of claims 1-8, comprising the following steps: S1. Fabricate segmented tower (1) using any of the following methods: Path 1: Set flanges (12) at the top and bottom of the inner cylinder section (110) of the segmented tower unit (11), set a second connecting structure on the flanges (12), set a template at the corresponding position on the outside of the inner cylinder section (110), pour concrete outer cylinder section, connect the inner cylinder section (110) and concrete outer cylinder section (111) through the second connecting structure to obtain an integrated segmented tower unit (11), transport the segmented tower unit (11) to the site; splice the segmented tower units (11) of the same segment in sequence and connect them through the third connecting structure to form a complete segmented tower (1). Path 2: Prefabricate the inner cylinder section (110) of the segmented tower unit (11). The inner cylinder section (110) of the same segmented tower unit (11) is assembled and spliced ​​to form a complete inner cylinder. The flange (12) with the second connection structure is connected to the inner cylinder of the segmented tower unit (11). A template is set at the corresponding position on the outside of the inner cylinder. The concrete outer cylinder is poured on site, so that the inner cylinder, the concrete outer cylinder and the second connection structure are poured into an integral segmented tower (1). S2. Overall tower assembly: The multi-section tower (1) is connected sequentially along the axial direction, and the adjacent sections of the tower (1) are fixed through the first connecting structure to obtain a complete new steel-concrete tower structure.

10. The method for fabricating and installing the novel steel-concrete tower structure according to claim 9, characterized in that, In step S1, when the concrete outer cylinder of the second path is poured on site, the concrete injected into the inner cylinder of the segmented tower cylinder (1) flows to the adjacent inner cylinder section (110) through the through hole (112). After the concrete solidifies, a concrete connector is formed, and the two adjacent concrete outer cylinder sections are connected by the concrete connector.

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