Ring-Housed Welding for Lightweight Wind Turbine Section Joints
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for connecting wind turbine sections, such as using flanges or slip joints, are weight-intensive and require non-ideal surface shapes, while on-site welding is impractical due to environmental control requirements, necessitating a more efficient and lightweight connection method.
Innovation Solution
A method and tool for welding tubular or conical sections using a mobile connection tool that forms a ring-shaped housing to create a controlled environment, allowing for efficient on-site welding without the need for a dedicated factory complex, with integrated welding heads and optional additional processing steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If flanges and bolting are used to connect sections, then the connection is simple to assemble, but the weight of the tower increases and material use increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the flanges from the connection system, replacing them with a direct welding connection between section ends. This removal of unnecessary components (flanges) directly reduces the tower weight and material use while maintaining connection functionality through the welding process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical bolting system with a welding process. Instead of using bolts and flanges to mechanically connect sections, the patent uses welding to fuse the section ends directly together, eliminating the need for flanges and reducing overall weight while providing a strong permanent connection.
2Ease of operation
If flanges are used to connect sections, then the connection allows for easy assembly, but the surface shape deviates from ideal and additional weight is added
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the flanges that cause surface shape deviations, creating a smooth continuous surface between sections. By eliminating the flange components entirely and welding sections directly end-to-end, the ideal surface shape is maintained without the protrusions and irregularities that flanges would introduce.
3Strength
If welding is performed on-site to connect sections, then the connection strength is improved and surface shape is optimized, but the infrastructure requirements increase and time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the welding infrastructure into a mobile, self-contained unit that can be transported to the site. Rather than requiring a fixed factory complex, the welding equipment is divided into transportable modules that can be deployed temporarily, performed their function, and then removed, significantly reducing infrastructure requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transforms the static, fixed infrastructure requirement into a dynamic, mobile system. The welding unit can be moved to different locations as needed, adapting to the construction sequence and reducing the need for permanent infrastructure. This dynamic approach allows welding to be performed on-site without requiring a dedicated factory complex.
4Manufacturing precision
If a dedicated factory complex is used for on-site welding, then the welding quality is improved, but the infrastructure requirements and costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention breaks down the factory complex into separate, mobile functional units that can be transported and assembled temporarily at the construction site. Each unit performs a specific function (welding, positioning, environmental control) and can be independently deployed and removed, maintaining welding quality without requiring a permanent, complex infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements a temporary infrastructure that is deployed only when needed for welding operations and then removed. The mobile welding unit and associated equipment are brought to the site, used for the welding task, and then taken away, avoiding the need for permanent infrastructure while maintaining controlled welding conditions.
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
Enables efficient, lightweight, and optimal surface shape connections for wind turbine sections, reducing infrastructure needs and allowing for automated or semi-automated processing with controlled environmental conditions, enhancing on-site workflow efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
joining respective circular ends of the outer walls of these sections by welding
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided for connecting two tubular or conical sections of a structure, especially of a wind turbine, by joining respective circular ends of the outer walls of these sections by welding, including the steps: positioning the two sections in such a way, that the circular ends are adjacent to each other, positioning a first part of a connection tool adjacent to the circular ends of the two sections, positioning a second part of the connection tool in such a way that the first and second part of the connection tool form a ring-shaped housing, blocking access to the circular ends from the outside of the sections, and using a welding head of the connection tool arranged within the ring-shaped housing to join the outer walls.