Additive Tower Construction with Protruding Reinforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for manufacturing wind turbine towers are limited by transportation regulations and require extensive labor and time, especially as turbines grow in size, and existing reinforcement placement methods are difficult to automate.
Innovation Solution
An additive manufacturing method using a printer head to deposit cementitious material around pre-fabricated components with protruding reinforcement members, allowing for on-site construction of larger tower structures with automated reinforcement integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If conventional manufacturing methods form pre-cast concrete rings and ship them to site for assembly, then transportation regulations limit tower diameter to 4-5 meters, but this limits the size and capacity of wind turbines that can be constructed
Solution Approach 1:
The tower is divided into multiple arc segments that are manufactured separately and then assembled on-site to form the complete circular tower structure. This segmentation allows each segment to be transported within size limits while the final assembled tower achieves the required larger diameter for high-capacity wind turbines
Solution Approach 2:
The arc segments are pre-manufactured with reinforcement members already positioned and protruding from the composite material. This preliminary placement of reinforcement eliminates the need for complex on-site reinforcement installation, reducing assembly complexity while enabling larger tower diameters
2Length of moving object
If arc segments are formed and secured together on site via bolting and welding, then transportation restrictions are overcome, but extensive labor and time are required for assembly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple arc segments are combined on-site to form the complete tower structure. The segments are designed to interconnect through their protruding reinforcement members that embed into the cementitious material, merging the segments into a unified structure without requiring extensive bolting or welding operations
Solution Approach 2:
The protruding reinforcement members automatically align and embed into the cementitious material during the pouring process, eliminating the need for manual reinforcement installation. The structure essentially assembles itself through the self-aligning properties of the pre-positioned reinforcement members
3Adaptability or versatility
If pre-fabricated components are incorporated into additively manufactured towers, then construction flexibility is improved, but reinforcement placement becomes difficult to automate
Solution Approach 1:
Reinforcement members are pre-positioned within the pre-fabricated components during their manufacturing process, with portions protruding from the composite material. This preliminary placement ensures that when the components are integrated into the additively manufactured tower, the reinforcement members are already in their final positions, allowing the additive printing process to automatically incorporate them without complex automation requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The protruding reinforcement members act as intermediaries between the pre-fabricated components and the additively manufactured cementitious material. They provide a mechanical connection interface that allows the automated printing process to integrate pre-fabricated components with proper reinforcement without requiring complex automation for reinforcement placement
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method simplifies reinforcement placement, enables the construction of larger wind turbines without size restrictions, and reduces manufacturing time by using automated additive printing to build tower structures layer by layer around pre-fabricated components.
Implementation Method 1
printing and depositing, via the at least one printer head, a cementitious material onto the support surface to build up the tower structure layer by layer around the pre-fabricated component
Implementation Method 2
the portions of the plurality of reinforcement members that protrude from the composite material reinforce the cementitious material around the pre-fabricated component
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of manufacturing a tower structure (12) includes providing an additive printing device (40) having at least one printer head (42) atop a support surface (15). The method also includes positioning a pre-fabricated component (90) adjacent to the support surface (15). The pre-fabricated component (90) is constructed of a composite material (34) reinforced with a plurality of reinforcement members (30). Further, portions of the plurality of reinforcement members (30) protrude from the composite material (34). Moreover, the method includes printing and depositing, via the at least one printer head (42), a cementitious material (36) onto the support surface (15) to build up the tower structure (12) layer by layer around the pre-fabricated component (90). Thus, the portions of the plurality of reinforcement members (30) that protrude from the composite material (34) reinforce the cementitious material (36) around the pre-fabricated component (34).