Modular Wind Turbine Tower Friction Plate Connections
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing modular tower designs for wind turbines face issues with fatigue, high manufacturing costs, and maintenance challenges due to flange connections and lattice structures, and conventional towers are heavy and inefficient in steel usage.
Innovation Solution
A modular tower structure using a cost-effective design with panels connected via interior and exterior friction plates, threaded studs, and anti-rotation nut tabs, allowing for efficient assembly and reduced steel usage, enabling safer maintenance and lower transportation costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If flange connections or load-bearing bolts are used to hold tower portions together, then the tower structure is stable and strong, but the connections suffer from fatigue and may fail, and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tower is divided into multiple sections that can be assembled together. Each section is further divided into panels that are connected through friction plate connections. This segmentation allows the tower to be manufactured and transported in manageable parts while maintaining overall structural integrity through the friction-based connection system.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces traditional mechanical fastening systems (flange connections and load-bearing bolts) with a friction-based connection system. Threaded studs pass through friction plates and are secured with nuts, creating friction-grip connections that distribute loads across multiple contact points rather than relying on single bolt shear strength, thereby reducing fatigue on individual fasteners.
2Ease of manufacture
If flange connections are used on large welded pieces, then the tower can be constructed, but manufacturing costs increase and manufacturing tolerances are difficult to satisfy
Solution Approach 1:
Large welded pieces are divided into smaller panel segments that are connected through friction plates. This segmentation reduces the size and complexity of individual manufacturing components, making it easier to achieve required tolerances and simplify the manufacturing process while still forming the complete tower structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Friction plates are introduced as intermediary elements between panels. These plates provide a standardized interface that accommodates manufacturing tolerances through friction-based load transfer, eliminating the need for precise flange-to-flange mating that would require extremely tight tolerances.
3Ease of manufacture
If lattice towers are used, then the tower can be constructed with open structure, but labor cost for installation and maintenance increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple panels are merged into complete tower sections that are pre-assembled as integrated units. This combining of components into sections reduces the number of individual connection operations required during field assembly, significantly reducing labor costs for installation while maintaining the modular advantage of standardized components.
4Shape
If lattice towers with open construction are used, then the tower structure is achieved, but birds and wildlife are attracted as the structure provides habitat
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses panel structures with skin surfaces that enclose the tower sections, creating a more solid exterior surface compared to open lattice construction. This continuous surface does not provide perching opportunities or habitat features that attract birds and wildlife, while still allowing for modular assembly and structural integrity.
5Strength
If concrete slabs are used in tower construction, then the tower structure is achieved, but the tower weighs too much to be feasible
Solution Approach 1:
The tower uses composite construction combining steel panels, friction plates, and threaded fasteners. This composite approach provides high strength-to-weight ratio compared to concrete, achieving the required structural strength while keeping the overall tower weight manageable for transportation and assembly.
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
The modular tower design enhances fatigue characteristics, reduces steel requirements, and lowers manufacturing and transportation costs while providing a safer and more efficient assembly process, supporting larger wind turbines and taller structures.
Implementation Method 1
an interior friction plate having a plurality of holes; an exterior friction plate having a plurality of holes; threaded studs that pass through the holes in the interior friction plate, holes in the panels or section, and the holes in the exterior friction plate
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A modular tower structure is described herein. The modular tower uses a cost-effective, efficient design that reduces the amount of steel necessary for tower structures for wind turbines. The modular tower is constructed from sections. The sections are constructed from panels. The panels comprise a curved or arcuate shape. The panels include vertical edges and horizontal edges. A vertical connection connects or secures the panels at the vertical edges of the panels and forms the sections. The sections have a generally circular shape. The vertical connection includes an interior vertical friction plate positioned over a seam or gap between adjacent panels and an exterior vertical friction plate positioned over the seam or gap between adjacent panels.