A wind turbine tower, cylindrical support structure and its application

Abstract

This invention discloses a wind turbine tower, a cylindrical support structure, and its application, belonging to the field of wind power engineering. The structure includes rectangular steel pipes with filler material inside. Multiple sections of rectangular steel pipes are spliced ​​together axially and circumferentially to form a cylindrical shape. Interface deformation is coordinated through the mechanical interlocking effect of the steel plate patterns. This invention eliminates the need for prestressing. The cylindrical support structure, formed by splicing rectangular steel pipes circumferentially, facilitates modular manufacturing and on-site assembly. The straight sidewalls of the rectangular steel pipes facilitate alignment of adjacent units and make welding or bolted connections easier to control and inspect. This avoids the problems of complex construction, high maintenance costs, and zipper effect associated with traditional prestressed wind turbine towers. Experimental and numerical simulation results show that this combined structure has good fatigue resistance and high load-bearing capacity, making it suitable for tall structures such as ultra-high wind turbine towers, chimneys, and heat absorption towers. It offers advantages such as simple construction, low cost, and high safety and reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wind power engineering technology, specifically to a wind turbine tower, a cylindrical support structure, and its application. Background Technology

[0002] The demands for grid parity for wind power and the improved efficiency of wind power generation in low-wind-speed areas of central and eastern my country have spurred continuous breakthroughs in wind power technology. Larger turbines with higher power outputs, longer blade diameters, and taller hubs have become the main approaches to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and enhance competitiveness in wind power generation. The tower is a crucial support for wind turbine generators, and the application of ultra-high towers is becoming increasingly widespread. Using traditional steel circular towers would significantly increase costs and is prone to safety issues such as resonance. Therefore, new wind turbine tower designs that improve structural rigidity and reduce costs have become the development trend in tower technology.

[0003] Structures composed of steel and concrete offer advantages such as high load-bearing capacity and stiffness, but they are primarily used in building structures where dynamic response is not significant and compression is the dominant factor. Wind turbine towers, under the 360-degree reciprocating aerodynamic forces of the wind turbine rotor, not only bear enormous bending moments but also exhibit complex and significantly alternating load responses. Tensile and compressive fatigue problems in the tower concrete are extremely prominent, necessitating the use of prestressing technology. However, prestressed wind turbine towers suffer from a singular stress mechanism. During long-term service, anchor cables can loosen, leading to prestress loss and concrete cracking, requiring regular monitoring and maintenance, resulting in high maintenance costs. Furthermore, the failure of some prestressed anchor cables can cause a "zipper effect" damage to the overall structure. Additionally, the installation of prestressed anchor cables requires high precision, involves complex and costly construction processes, and necessitates specialized equipment and technology. The existing patent with authorization announcement number CN208996874U provides a circular steel tube concrete composite wind turbine tower structure, which is composed of an upper steel tower and a lower multi-section circular steel tube concrete tower section. Through the combination of the upper steel tower and the lower multi-section circular steel tube concrete tower section, the structure can meet the requirements of wind turbine hub height of over 150 meters and high rigidity, while solving the problem of transportation restrictions of traditional high towers. Patent application CN120486809A discloses a hybrid tower wind turbine FRP-concrete-steel composite tower and its construction method. The tower consists of an upper steel tower section and a lower hybrid tower section. The hybrid tower section is formed by splicing together multiple prefabricated arc-shaped tower rings. Each ring contains a reinforced concrete body, an inner steel pipe, and an outer CFRP cloth wrapping layer. The rings are connected laterally by toothed through bolts. The upper and lower sections are connected by longitudinal steel sleeves, steel pipe welding, and UHPC post-cast strips, and vertical prestressing tendons are set. Its focus is on improving the stress performance of concrete by utilizing the dual constraints of CFRP and steel pipes. At the same time, it simplifies on-site construction and enhances connection reliability and durability through prefabrication, staggered splicing, and UHPC post-cast strips, thereby solving the problems of complex reinforcement, easy aging of adhesive joints, and poor fatigue performance of traditional hybrid towers. However, it still relies on or partially relies on prestressing technology to resist fatigue, and cannot avoid the disadvantages of complex prestressing construction, later relaxation, and high maintenance costs.

[0004] Therefore, in response to the problems of complex prestressing construction and tensile / compressive fatigue of wind turbine towers, a cylindrical support structure for wind turbine generators can be adopted. This structure does not require prestressing, reducing construction difficulty and is suitable for solving the problem of tensile / compressive fatigue of wind turbine tower structures. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a wind turbine tower, a cylindrical support structure, and its application. The outer surface is a rectangular tube made of patterned steel plate rolled into shape, and the interior is filled with high-ductility concrete or wood. The rectangular tube and the internal high-ductility concrete or wood provide mutual constraint and support. The patterned steel plate, high-ductility concrete, and wood effectively coordinate the deformation at the interface between the tube wall and the internal filler, achieving a synergistic effect in terms of stress and stiffness. This invention can solve the problem of tensile and compressive fatigue in wind turbine tower concrete and is suitable for ultra-high wind turbine tower structures.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a cylindrical support structure, including a rectangular steel pipe, a filler material in the rectangular steel pipe, multiple sections of rectangular steel pipe spliced ​​together along the axial direction, and multiple rectangular steel pipes spliced ​​together in the circumferential direction to form a cylindrical shape.

[0007] Furthermore, the rectangular steel pipe is made of patterned steel plate rolled into shape, and the inner wall of the rectangular steel pipe has a lentil-shaped or round bean-shaped protrusion structure.

[0008] Furthermore, the filler is high-ductility concrete or glued laminated timber, and glue is injected into the gaps between the glued laminated timber and the rectangular steel pipe to connect them.

[0009] Furthermore, when high-ductility concrete is used as the filler, tie rods are installed on the rectangular steel pipe to strengthen the connection, and the tie rods are installed on the long side of the rectangular steel pipe section.

[0010] Furthermore, burrs are added to the rivets.

[0011] Furthermore, the connection between the rivet and the outer wall of the rectangular steel tube is sealed.

[0012] Furthermore, multiple rectangular steel pipes are welded to form a combined structure, and multiple combined structures are spliced ​​together to form a cylindrical support structure, with the rectangular steel pipes welded at the connection between two adjacent combined structures.

[0013] Furthermore, a flange is provided at the bottom for connecting the pre-embedded anchor bolts.

[0014] On the other hand, the present invention can provide a wind turbine tower that adopts the above-mentioned cylindrical support structure.

[0015] Meanwhile, the present invention can also provide applications of the aforementioned cylindrical support structure, using the cylindrical support structure as a wind turbine tower, industrial chimney, or heat absorption tower.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial technical effects of the present invention are as follows: The cylindrical support structure is formed by splicing rectangular steel tubes along the circumference, achieving the convenience of modular manufacturing and on-site assembly. The straight sidewalls of the rectangular steel tubes facilitate the alignment of adjacent units and make the quality of welding or bolted connections easier to control and inspect, significantly reducing the sensitivity to assembly accuracy and construction risks. The bending moment of inertia of the composite section tends to be uniform in all directions, effectively resisting horizontal loads in any direction generated by the operation of the wind turbine. At the same time, the straight wall panels and the internal filling material form a regular constraint interface, which is conducive to the uniform transfer of stress between the steel and the filling material, avoiding the uneven constraint effect caused by the curvature of the circular tube, and improving the overall collaborative working ability. In terms of the stress mechanism, the steel tubes apply continuous circumferential constraints to the internal filling material, placing it in a triaxial compressive stress state, improving the compressive strength and ultimate compressive strain of the filling material, and avoiding brittle failure; the filling material, in turn, provides lateral support for the steel tube wall panels, delaying or preventing local buckling and outward bulging deformation. Through the synergistic effect of the steel pipe and the filling material, the structure achieves excellent compressive stiffness and energy dissipation capacity, and relies on the passive constraint of the material itself to achieve robust and reliable stress distribution, without the long-term maintenance risks caused by prestress loss.

[0017] Therefore, the cylindrical support structure of the present invention has high load-bearing capacity, good fatigue resistance, no need to apply prestress, simple construction, and low cost. It is suitable for tall structures such as wind turbine towers, chimneys, and heat absorption towers, and can be widely promoted and applied. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a cylindrical support structure according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the wind turbine tower assembly according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the use of glued laminated wood as the filler in this invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a tie rod; Figure 5 Dimensioning diagrams for specimens P-NCFST1, P-NCFST2, NCFST5, and NCFST6; Figure 6 Schematic diagram showing the dimensions of specimens P-SCFST3 and SCFST7; Figure 7 Schematic diagram showing the dimensions of specimens P-HDC-NCFST4 and HDC-NCFST8; Figure 8 This is a physical image of the loading device for axial compression performance testing; Figure 8 For steel pipe specimen models; Figure 9 For the test specimen model of the tie rivet; Among them, 1-high ductility concrete, 2-rectangular tube made of patterned steel plate, 3-wind turbine tower, 4-glulam, 5-tie rivets. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The following embodiments are merely examples and illustrations of the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit its scope of implementation. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can be made to the specific technical solutions by referring to the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments, and all such modifications fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0021] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the specification of this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It should be noted that, without conflict, embodiments and features thereof in this invention can be combined with each other.

[0022] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in the schematic diagram, a cylindrical support structure of the present invention includes high-ductility concrete 1, a rectangular tube 2 made of patterned steel plate, a wind turbine tower 3, glued laminated timber 4, and tie rods 5. The high-ductility concrete 1 is filled into the rectangular tube 2 made of patterned steel plate to form a composite structure. The composite structure is spliced ​​along the circumferential direction to form the wind turbine tower 3. The inner wall of the rectangular tube 2 is provided with lentil-shaped or round bean-shaped protrusions, which can effectively enhance the mechanical interlocking force between the rectangular steel tube 2 and the high-ductility concrete 1.

[0023] like Figure 3 As shown, the high-ductility concrete 1 filling the rectangular tube 2 can be replaced with glued laminated timber 4, and the gap between the glued laminated timber 4 and the rectangular steel tube 2 is glued together.

[0024] like Figure 4As shown, a rectangular tube 2 is made of patterned steel plate rolled into shape. In order to enhance the connection between the rectangular tube 2 and the filling high-ductility concrete 1, tie rods 5 can be passed through both sides of the rectangular steel tube 2 and connected to the joint of the tie rods 5 and the rectangular steel tube 2, which can effectively prevent the steel plate from bulging outward.

[0025] This invention relates to a cylindrical support structure for wind turbine towers that is resistant to tensile and compressive fatigue. It comprises a rectangular tube made of patterned steel plate and high-ductility concrete. Fiber-reinforced high-ductility concrete is poured inside the cavity of the patterned steel tube to create a precast component. The fiber-reinforced concrete has the advantage of good ductility, enabling it to adapt to the large deformation requirements of the wind turbine tower. The lentil-shaped or round bean-shaped pattern of the patterned steel plate effectively enhances the roughness of the interface between the steel plate and the concrete, providing mechanical interlocking force and thus increasing the interfacial bonding strength. The patterned steel plate is formed in one piece, requiring no secondary processing, making construction convenient.

[0026] High-ductility concrete 1 can be replaced by glued laminated timber 4. The deformation coefficient of glued laminated timber 4 can be increased by 1 / 3 compared with ordinary concrete. It has high tensile strength and strong ability to adapt to large deformation. When combined with rectangular steel pipe 2 rolled from patterned steel plate, it can be used for ultra-high wind turbine tower structure.

[0027] The composite structure formed by the high-ductility concrete 1 and the rectangular steel pipe 2 can be equipped with tie rods 5 as needed. The tie rods 5 have good fatigue resistance and can further strengthen the connection between the high-ductility concrete 11 and the rectangular steel pipe 2, effectively prevent the steel plate from bulging outward, and improve the out-of-plane stability of the steel-concrete composite structure. When tie rods 5 are used, the wall thickness of the rectangular steel pipe 2 can be reduced to reduce the cost. In addition, the tie rods 5 have a smooth appearance and no obvious protrusions.

[0028] Example 1 like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment provides a cylindrical support structure, which serves as the main load-bearing framework for wind turbine towers or other tall structures. The cylindrical support structure includes rectangular steel pipes 2, with filler material inside. The rectangular steel pipes 2 are spliced ​​together circumferentially to form a cylindrical shape. This circumferential splicing of the rectangular steel pipes 2 into a cylindrical shape connects the sidewalls of adjacent rectangular steel pipes 2, ultimately forming an approximately circular polygonal annular cross-section, which then extends along the height direction to form a cylindrical structure. Figure 2 In the cross-section of the wind turbine tower 3 shown, multiple rectangular steel pipes 2 are arranged radially and closely, their outer contours together fitting a circular boundary. In other embodiments, the number, size ratio, and cross-sectional shape of the rectangular steel pipes 2 can be adjusted according to the tower diameter, stress requirements, and transportation restrictions, as long as the function of splicing along the circumferential direction to form a cylindrical support is met. The splicing structure lays the foundation for subsequent modular manufacturing and on-site assembly.

[0029] The rectangular cross-section possesses inherent planar geometric characteristics, providing precise positioning benchmarks and ample contact area for splicing nodes. Compared to the unavoidable problems of misalignment, uneven gaps, and difficult weld formation when connecting circular tubes, the straight sidewalls of the rectangular steel tube 2 facilitate alignment between adjacent units, making the construction quality of welded or bolted connections easier to control and inspect, significantly reducing the precision sensitivity and construction risks of on-site assembly of ultra-high towers. From a mechanical performance perspective, when multiple rectangular steel tubes 2 are spliced ​​along the circumference to form an integral cylinder, the bending moment of inertia of its combined section tends to be uniformly distributed in all directions, effectively resisting horizontal loads in any direction generated by the wind turbine operation. The straight wall of the rectangular steel tube 2 forms a regular constraint interface with the internal filling material, which is conducive to the uniform transfer of stress between the steel and the filling material, avoiding the uneven constraint effect caused by the curvature change of the inner wall of the circular tube, and helping to improve the overall collaborative working ability of the combined structure.

[0030] In terms of the stress mechanism, the combined structure formed by the rectangular steel tube 2 and the internal filling material replaces the traditional prestressing mechanism through material interaction. When the cylindrical support structure bears the huge bending moment generated by the rotation of the wind turbine impeller and the 360-degree reciprocating aerodynamic force, one side of the cross-section is under compression, and the other side is under tension or in a low-stress state. In the compression zone, the rectangular steel tube 2 applies continuous circumferential restraint to the internal filling material, restricting the lateral expansion deformation of the filling material and subjecting it to triaxial compressive stress, thereby improving the compressive strength and ultimate compressive strain of the filling material, enabling it to withstand loads far exceeding the uniaxial compressive strength without brittle failure. The internal filling material provides lateral support for the wall panels of the rectangular steel tube 2, delaying or preventing local buckling and outward bulging deformation of the steel plates under compression or shear conditions, ensuring that the rectangular steel tube 2 can fully utilize its material strength.

[0031] External wind loads and the unit's self-weight initially act on the outer surface of the tower, and are transferred to the entire cross-section of the tower through the wall panels of the rectangular steel pipe 2. At the cross-section, the load is distributed and redistributed between the two materials through the steel-filler interface: the steel pipe primarily bears tensile and shear forces, as well as the constraint force on the filler, while the filler primarily bears compressive forces and provides stability support. Because the rectangular steel pipes 2 are continuously spliced ​​along the circumference, each unit forms a rigid whole through welds or connectors, ensuring continuous circumferential transmission of internal forces and avoiding stress concentration or interruption of force transmission.

[0032] Example 2 Based on Example 1, this example further optimizes the wall structure of the rectangular steel pipe 2. Specifically, the rectangular steel pipe 2 is made of patterned steel plate and has lentil-shaped or round bean-shaped protrusions on its inner wall.

[0033] Combination Figure 1As can be seen from the longitudinal section view, the raised structure on the inner wall of the rectangular steel pipe 2 is not an additional component welded or glued later, but rather a feature of the patterned steel plate formed in one step during the rolling process. The lentil-shaped or round bean-shaped raised structures are regularly distributed along the surface of the steel plate, and their geometric parameters are specially designed to adapt to the stress characteristics of the wind turbine tower. For example, the height of the raised structures is typically controlled between 2mm and 5mm, and the spacing is between 20mm and 50mm. The shape of the raised structures can also be rhomboid, elliptical, or other irregular shapes, as long as they can form effective physical interlocking in the direction perpendicular to the interface and can be integrally formed through the rolling process. This one-step forming process avoids the cumbersome process of welding each shear connector individually, not only improving production efficiency but also eliminating the weakening effect of the weld heat-affected zone on the base material's properties, ensuring the uniformity and stability of the overall mechanical properties of the steel pipe.

[0034] The lentil-shaped or round bean-shaped protrusions on the inner wall create a dual-interface force transmission mechanism that couples mechanical interlocking force and chemical bonding force. During the service life of the wind turbine tower, the structure is subjected to huge bending moments and 360-degree reciprocating aerodynamic forces, resulting in significant longitudinal shear stress between the steel pipe and the internal filling material. The protrusions act like teeth embedded within the filling material; when relative slippage occurs at the interface, the shear-facing surfaces of the protrusions directly compress the filling material, generating strong mechanical interlocking force to resist shear deformation. This mechanical interlocking action exhibits significant ductility, continuously providing stable shear capacity even as the chemical bonding force degrades, thus enhancing the ultimate shear strength and residual shear stiffness of the interface. Under alternating tensile and compressive loads, the protrusions effectively inhibit the propagation of interfacial cracks, forcing cracks to develop along more tortuous paths, consuming more fracture energy, and contributing to improved fatigue resistance of the wind turbine tower.

[0035] The choice of patterned steel plates not only increases roughness, but their raised shapes also affect the flowability and density of the internal filler. When pouring high-ductility concrete or gluing together glued timber, the grooves formed by the lentil-shaped or round bean-shaped protrusions act as guides, helping the fluid material to fill the corners of the steel pipes, reducing air bubble retention, and thus indirectly improving the overall quality of the composite structure.

[0036] Example 3 Based on Examples 1 and 2, this example further specifies the infill material system inside the cylindrical support structure. The infill material is high-ductility concrete 1 or glued laminated timber 4. The glued laminated timber 4 is glued to the gap between it and the rectangular steel pipe 2, constructing a dual-filling technology based on the differentiated material properties. By using media with different physical properties, it can adapt to diverse engineering scenarios, while ensuring that the stringent requirements of wind turbine towers against tensile and compressive fatigue and large deformation can be met without applying prestress.

[0037] When high-ductility concrete 1 is selected as the filler, combined with Figure 1The cross-sectional structure shown is as follows. Figure 1 In Figure a, the rectangular steel pipe 2 is shown as a front view, and in Figure b, it is shown as a top view corresponding to Figure a. The high-ductility concrete 1 is not a simple replacement for ordinary concrete. In this embodiment, reinforcing fibers are incorporated into the high-ductility concrete 1. The reinforcing fibers can be polyvinyl alcohol fibers, steel fibers, or a mixture of both. After reaching its initial crack strength, the high-ductility concrete 1 does not immediately fail. Instead, as the tensile strain increases, multiple fine and evenly distributed micro-cracks form in the matrix, preventing the formation of large, continuous cracks. Under conditions where the wind turbine tower is subjected to 360-degree reciprocating aerodynamic forces and enormous bending moments, the high-ductility concrete 1 in the tension zone of the tower section can effectively absorb and dissipate externally input energy through its own plastic deformation and multi-crack energy dissipation, avoiding the risk of sudden stiffness drop and steel reinforcement / pipe corrosion caused by brittle cracking of the concrete. The excellent deformation coordination ability of the high-ductility concrete 1 allows it to closely follow the deformation of the rectangular steel pipe 2, ensuring the integrity of the steel-concrete composite interface and leveraging the mechanical interlocking effect of the patterned steel plate protrusion structure in Example 2.

[0038] As another implementation, when glued laminated wood 4 is selected as the filler, combined with Figure 3 The structure shown is... Figure 3 Figure a shows the front view of rectangular steel pipe 2, and figure b shows the corresponding top view of figure a. Glulam 4 has significant advantages such as being lightweight, high-strength, renewable, and having a low carbon footprint, making it particularly suitable for ultra-high tower projects that are sensitive to self-weight or have limited transportation conditions. The low modulus and high strength characteristics of glued laminated timber 4 give it better flexibility under stress, and its deformation coefficient can be increased by about one-third compared to ordinary concrete. This allows it to better adapt to the large elastic deformation requirements of wind turbine towers under extreme wind loads and reduce the amplification effect of dynamic response caused by excessive stiffness.

[0039] After the glued laminated timber 4 is installed in place, high-performance structural adhesive is injected into the gap between the glued laminated timber 4 and the rectangular steel pipe 2. Specifically, an adhesive injection channel and venting hole are pre-set along the length of the rectangular steel pipe 2; the injection channel can be located at the corner of the steel pipe or the center of its long side. The fully sealed adhesive layer effectively prevents moisture and corrosive media from penetrating the wood, significantly improving the durability of the glued laminated timber 4 in humid outdoor environments.

[0040] Whether using high-ductility concrete 1 or glued laminated timber 4 as filler, this embodiment overcomes the limitations of a single material through targeted material modification and interface structure design. The high-ductility concrete 1 route focuses on using the material's ultra-high ductility and energy dissipation capacity to solve fatigue problems, making it suitable for scenarios with high stiffness requirements and where the construction environment allows for on-site casting or prefabrication and curing. The glued laminated timber 4 route, on the other hand, focuses on using the material's lightweight flexibility and adaptability to glued connections to meet the needs of large deformation and rapid assembly, making it suitable for scenarios that are sensitive to self-weight and pursue green, low-carbon, and industrialized construction.

[0041] Example 4 Based on Examples 1 to 3, this example further optimizes the design for local stability control of the rectangular cross-section composite structure. Specifically, when high-ductility concrete 1 is used as the infill material, tie rods 5 are installed on the rectangular steel pipe 2 to strengthen the connection, and the tie rods 5 are located on the long side of the cross-section of the rectangular steel pipe 2. Combined with... Figure 4 The schematic diagram of the connection structure shown shows that the tie rivets 5 are arranged in a single row or multiple rows along the longitudinal axis of the long side of the rectangular steel pipe 2. Figure 4 Figure a shows the front view of the rectangular steel pipe 2, and figure b shows the top view corresponding to figure a. In specific implementation, the specifications of the tie rivets 5 should match the wall thickness of the rectangular steel pipe 2 and the strength grade of the high-ductility concrete 1. If the long side of the rectangular steel pipe 2 is large, double or multiple rows of tie rivets 5 can be set along the width of the long side, or a staggered arrangement in a quincunx pattern can be used, as long as its core function is to form an effective lateral constraint on the long side wall panel. Concentrating limited structural measures on the most dangerous long side area can achieve the greatest overall stability benefit with the least material cost and construction cost, avoiding the waste of resources caused by ineffective nailing on the short side and interference with the compaction of the internal concrete pouring. The setting of tie rivets 5 changes the boundary conditions of the rectangular steel pipe 2 wall panel. After the introduction of tie rivets 5, the rivet shank passes through the wall panels on both sides of the steel pipe and is anchored in the internal high-ductility concrete 1, which is equivalent to adding one or more elastic supports in the long side span direction, dividing the original large-span plate into several small-span sections. This effectively limits the out-of-plane displacement tendency of the wall panel under compression, prevents the steel plate from bulging outward, and increases the local buckling critical stress of the wall panel. The tie rivet 5 and the patterned steel plate protrusion structure in Example 2 form a dual interface protection system of mechanical interlocking and active bonding: the pattern mainly bears the longitudinal shear force transmission to ensure deformation coordination; the tie rivet 5 mainly bears the normal tensile force to maintain the geometric integrity of the cross section.

[0042] As a preferred embodiment, the connection between the tie rivet 5 and the outer wall of the rectangular steel pipe 2 is sealed. The hole formed by the tie rivet 5 penetrating the steel pipe wall is a potential channel for corrosive media intrusion and a leakage point. Without protection, moisture and oxygen can easily seep in along the gap between the rivet shank and the hole wall, leading to rivet corrosion failure, steel pipe perforation corrosion, and even moisture deterioration of the internal high-ductility concrete 1, seriously threatening the structural durability. In specific implementation, a weather-resistant rubber waterproof gasket can be placed at the hole position before the rivet is installed, and the rivet head can be used to press the gasket to form a physical sealing barrier; after installation, high-performance polyurethane sealant or silicone weather-resistant sealant can be applied to the rivet head and surrounding area to form a second chemical sealing layer, completely blocking the corrosion path.

[0043] Example 5 Based on Examples 1 to 4, this example further specifies the manufacturing process and basic connection nodes of the cylindrical support structure. As one implementation method, multiple rectangular steel pipes 2 are welded to form a combined structure, and these combined structures are spliced ​​together to form the cylindrical support structure. The rectangular steel pipes 2 at the connection points of adjacent combined structures are welded. This addresses the engineering challenges faced by ultra-high wind turbine towers 3 during on-site construction, such as difficulty in precision control, large workload at heights, and harsh wet working environments. Through a combination of modular prefabrication and rigid connections, an optimal balance between manufacturing quality and installation efficiency is achieved.

[0044] In the factory, the individual rectangular steel pipes 2 are rolled, longitudinally welded, and the internal filling material is poured or installed, followed by preliminary curing or solidification. Several rectangular steel pipes 2 are assembled in the factory and welded laterally to form a standardized composite structural unit. This composite structural unit can be a section forming the circumference of the tower or a complete segment with a certain height. Unit integration in a controlled factory environment fully utilizes automated welding equipment and precision tooling, ensuring uniform joint gaps, controllable misalignment, and stable and reliable weld quality between the rectangular steel pipes 2. During on-site assembly, the prefabricated composite structural units are transported to the construction site, hoisted into place sequentially along the circumference, and the rectangular steel pipes 2 at the connection points of adjacent composite structures are welded on-site, ultimately forming a complete cylindrical support structure.

[0045] Welding at the joints of adjacent composite structures ensures the overall rigidity and fatigue resistance of the wind turbine tower 3. The butt welds of the rectangular steel pipe 2 typically employ full penetration groove welding to ensure that the joint strength is not lower than that of the base material. By completing a large amount of welding work in the factory beforehand, only a small amount of circumferential splicing welding is required on-site, reducing the risks of high-altitude operations and the impact of weather on construction quality, which helps to shorten the construction period.

[0046] The cylindrical support structure described in this invention can also be used as an industrial chimney or heat absorption tower.

[0047] Example 6 As a specific application scenario, this embodiment provides a wind turbine tower, which adopts the cylindrical support structure described in any one of embodiments 1 to 5 above. The cylindrical support structure of this invention has been experimentally and numerically simulated to verify the fatigue resistance of the patterned steel pipe-concrete composite structure, and performance test results are provided.

[0048] The dimensional parameters of the patterned rectangular steel tube concrete specimens are shown in Table 1. N indicates no tie rods are installed, S indicates tie rods are installed, CFST indicates patterned steel tube concrete, HDC indicates high ductility concrete, b indicates the length of the long side of the steel tube, h indicates the length of the short side of the steel tube, t indicates the thickness of the steel tube, and L indicates the height of the specimen.

[0049] Table 1. Dimensional parameters of fatigue specimens

[0050] The contributions of concrete and steel pipe to the four fatigue specimens under tensile and compressive cyclic loading are shown in Table 2.

[0051] Table 2. Contribution ratio of steel pipe and concrete under tension and compression cyclic loading

[0052] The patterned rectangular steel-tube concrete members were tested using a low-cycle repeated loading test apparatus. The specimen dimensions are shown in Table 3. Figure 5 , Figure 5 Figures a, b, and c in the middle are schematic diagrams of the front view, top view, and side view of specimens P-NCFST1, P-NCFST2, NCFST5, and NCFST6, respectively. P indicates a fatigue specimen, N indicates no tie rods are installed, S indicates tie rods are installed, CFST indicates steel-concrete composite, HDC indicates high-ductility concrete, b indicates the length of the long side of the steel tube, h indicates the length of the short side of the steel tube, t indicates the thickness of the steel tube, and L indicates the height of the specimen. Figure 6 Figures a, b, and c in the middle are schematic diagrams of the front view, top view, and side view of specimen P-SCFST3 and specimen SCFST7, respectively. Figure 7 Figures a, b, and c in the middle are schematic diagrams of the front view, top view, and side view of specimen P-HDC-NCFST4 and specimen HDC-NCFST8, respectively.

[0053] Table 3. Dimensional parameters of specimens subjected to low-cycle cyclic loading

[0054] Table 4 shows the average energy dissipation coefficients for each specimen. With average equivalent viscous damping coefficient Based on the cumulative energy dissipation Ed,sum, the following conclusions can be drawn: fatigue has a certain impact on the energy dissipation capacity of each specimen, but the reduction is relatively small. The specimen with a wall panel width-to-thickness ratio of 50 and the specimen with tie rivets have better energy dissipation capacity than other specimens.

[0055] Table 4 Energy consumption parameters of each specimen

[0056] The specimen size parameters for the axial compression performance test of patterned rectangular steel tube concrete members are shown in Table 5. P represents fatigue specimen, N represents no tie rods, S represents tie rods, CFST represents steel tube concrete, b represents the length of the long side of the steel tube, h represents the length of the short side of the steel tube, t represents the thickness of the steel tube, and L represents the specimen height.

[0057] Table 5 Dimensional parameters of axial compression test specimens

[0058] The test values ​​of the specimen bearing capacity are shown in Table 6.

[0059] Table 6 Test values ​​of specimen bearing capacity

[0060] From a fatigue perspective, it can be seen that: 1) the compressive bearing capacity of the rectangular steel-concrete composite member with a width-to-thickness ratio of 50 did not change significantly before and after fatigue treatment, and fatigue had no effect on the bearing capacity of the rectangular steel-concrete composite member with a width-to-thickness ratio of 50; 2) fatigue treatment had little effect on the compressive bearing capacity of the rectangular steel-concrete composite member with a width-to-thickness ratio of 60; 3) fatigue treatment had little effect on the compressive bearing capacity of the rectangular steel-concrete composite member with tie rods; 4) fatigue treatment had no significant effect on the bearing capacity of the patterned rectangular steel-concrete composite member in this experiment.

[0061] The present invention provides a cylindrical support structure, and the finite element models of the structure with and without tie rods are shown below. Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the numerical simulation results agree well with the experimental results.

[0062] In summary, the patterned steel pipe-high ductility concrete composite structure exhibits excellent fatigue resistance and fully meets the load-bearing requirements of wind turbine tower structures.

[0063] The above content is only for illustrating the technical concept of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications made to the technical solution based on the technical concept proposed in this invention shall fall within the scope of protection of the claims of this invention.

Claims

1. A cylindrical support structure, characterized in that, It includes a rectangular steel pipe (2), which is filled with a filling material. Multiple sections of rectangular steel pipe (2) are spliced ​​together along the axial direction, and multiple sections of rectangular steel pipe (2) are spliced ​​together along the circumferential direction to form a cylindrical shape.

2. The cylindrical support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rectangular steel pipe (2) is made of patterned steel plate and has a lentil-shaped or round bean-shaped protrusion structure on the inner wall.

3. The cylindrical support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The filler is high-ductility concrete (1) or glued laminated timber (4), and glue is injected into the gap between the glued laminated timber (4) and the rectangular steel pipe (2) for connection.

4. The cylindrical support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the filling material is high-ductility concrete (1), tie rivets (5) are installed on the rectangular steel pipe (2) to strengthen the connection. The tie rivets (5) are installed on the long side of the cross section of the rectangular steel pipe (2).

5. The cylindrical support structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, Burrs are set on the rivets (5).

6. The cylindrical support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, Seal the connection between the tie rivet (5) and the outer wall of the rectangular steel pipe (2).

7. The cylindrical support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple rectangular steel pipes (2) are welded to form a combined structure. Multiple combined structures are spliced ​​together to form a cylindrical support structure. The rectangular steel pipes (2) at the connection of two adjacent combined structures are welded together.

8. The cylindrical support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, A flange is provided at the bottom for connecting the pre-embedded anchor bolts.

9. A wind turbine tower, characterized in that, The cylindrical support structure described in any one of claims 1-8 is adopted.

10. The application of the cylindrical support structure as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The cylindrical support structure can be used as a wind turbine tower, industrial chimney, or heat absorption tower.

Images