Polygonal Wind Turbine Tower Segments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbine towers face transportation and infrastructure challenges due to their large diameter and weight, leading to increased costs and complexity in assembly and logistics, especially with diameter restrictions and the need for specialized equipment.
Innovation Solution
A wind turbine tower constructed from segments with a polygonal cross-section formed by connected flat plates, using splice plates and flanges to eliminate the need for rolling, bending, and welding, allowing for standard transportation and assembly at the installation site, reducing manufacturing and transportation costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of stationary object
If the tower diameter is increased to reduce wall thickness and weight, then the transportation infrastructure requirements increase, but the tower strength and stiffness improve
Solution Approach 1:
The tower is divided into multiple sections that can be manufactured separately and assembled on-site. Each section has a polygonal cross-section formed by flat plates, allowing standard transportation while achieving the required overall tower dimensions and weight reduction through optimized wall thickness
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from traditional cylindrical towers to polygonal cross-section towers formed by flat plates. This dimensional change allows the tower to achieve equivalent structural performance with reduced weight while maintaining compatibility with standard transportation infrastructure
2Ease of manufacture
If the tower is constructed as a single large section, then the manufacturing is simpler, but the transportation and installation become more difficult due to size and weight restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The tower is segmented into multiple manageable sections that can be transported using standard infrastructure. Each section is constructed from flat plates that are easier to manufacture and handle, while the sections are connected using bolted splice plates for simple assembly on-site
Solution Approach 2:
The flat plates are prepared and connected into sections in advance using preliminary assembly operations. The sections are designed to be pre-assembled with splice plates ready for final tower assembly, reducing on-site construction complexity
3Length of moving object
If modular towers with longitudinal split are used to overcome dimensional restrictions, then the transportation is easier, but the assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tower sections use a polygonal cross-section with flat plates rather than symmetric modular segments. This asymmetric design with flat plates connected by splice plates simplifies the assembly process compared to complex modular systems, while still allowing standard transportation sizes
4Strength
If the tower sections are connected using welding, then the structural integrity is improved, but the manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces welding with mechanical bolted connections using splice plates. This substitution maintains structural integrity while dramatically improving assembly speed and reducing manufacturing time, as bolted connections can be made quickly without the complex preparation and cooling time required for welding
Data Source
AI summary
A wind turbine tower is provided, which comprises a number of segments with a polygonal cross section, each segment comprising a number of flat plates which are connected to each other so as to form the polygonal cross section. Further, a method for constructing a wind turbine tower which comprises segments assembled of flat plates is disclosed, wherein the flat plates are connected to each other so as to form segments with a polygonal cross section and the segments are connected to each other so as to form the tower.