Hybrid Wind Turbine Tower Transition Piece
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current segmented wind turbine towers face challenges in transportation due to large tower sections and require labor-intensive assembly, which increases time and costs.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid wind turbine tower design featuring polygonal tower sections at the lower end and tubular tower sections at the upper end, with a transition piece connecting the two, allowing for efficient assembly and transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If tower sections are made larger to accommodate increased bending loads, then the load-bearing capacity is improved, but the transportability deteriorates due to road limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides large tower sections into multiple smaller segments that can be transported individually. These segments are then assembled on-site to form the complete tower section, resolving the contradiction by enabling transport of smaller components while achieving the structural integrity of larger sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs telescopic tower sections where inner sections can be nested within outer sections during transport. This allows multiple tower segments to be compacted into a smaller transport footprint while maintaining their full structural capacity when assembled, thus improving transportability without sacrificing load-bearing capacity.
2Ease of operation
If tower sections are segmented into multiple segments, then the transportability is improved, but the assembly complexity increases due to multiple connections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple tower segments into pre-assembled tower sections at the manufacturing site. These pre-assembled sections are then transported as complete units, reducing the number of connections required on-site and simplifying the assembly process while maintaining transportability benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs assembly operations in advance at the manufacturing site, where complex connections and alignments are established before transport. This preliminary assembly reduces the complexity of on-site operations, as fewer and simpler connections need to be made during final tower assembly.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional tubular tower sections are used throughout, then the manufacturing is simplified, but the transportability of lower sections deteriorates due to size constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the lower tower sections into multiple smaller sections that can be transported individually, while maintaining the conventional tubular design for upper sections. This allows the lower sections to meet transport constraints while the upper sections retain the manufacturing simplicity of conventional designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different structural approaches to different parts of the tower: segmented or telescopic designs for lower sections requiring transport, and conventional tubular designs for upper sections where transport is less constrained. This localized differentiation optimizes both transportability and manufacturing simplicity in respective regions.
Data Source
AI summary
A hybrid wind turbine tower includes at least one polygonal tower section with a polygonal cross-sectional profile connected to a foundation, at least one tubular tower section with a circular cross-sectional profile for connection to the nacelle, and a transition piece disposed between the at least one polygonal tower section and the at least one tubular tower section. The transition piece includes an upper portion having a circular cross-sectional profile connected to a lower end of the at least one tubular tower section, and a lower portion having a polygonal cross-sectional profile connected to an upper end of the at least one polygonal tower section. A method for assembling a hybrid wind turbine tower is also disclosed.