Segmented Wind Turbine Tower With Pre-Installed HV Cable Junction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing height of modern wind turbine towers, particularly offshore, poses challenges in manufacturing and transportation due to their large size and regulatory limitations on maximum transportation height.
Innovation Solution
The tower is divided into a lower and upper section with pre-installed high-voltage cables, allowing for separate assembly and transportation, and simplified electrical connections at the erection site.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the tower height is increased to accommodate larger wind turbines, then the power generation capacity is improved, but the transportation and manufacturing becomes increasingly difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The tower is divided into multiple sections (lower tower section, upper tower section, and intermediate tower section) that can be manufactured and transported separately, then assembled on-site. This segmentation allows each section to meet transportation height limitations while the complete tower achieves the required height for large power generation capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
High-voltage cables are pre-installed within the tower sections during manufacturing, before transportation and final assembly. This preliminary action ensures that the electrical infrastructure is ready in advance, simplifying on-site assembly and avoiding the need to handle heavy cables during installation.
2Ease of operation
If the tower is transported in one piece, then assembly is simplified, but transportation regulations on maximum height are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The tower is segmented into multiple transportable sections with standardized connection interfaces. The connection means are designed to facilitate quick and reliable assembly on-site, minimizing the complexity of joining sections while allowing each section to comply with transportation height regulations.
Solution Approach 2:
High-voltage cables are nested within protective conduits or channels that are integrated into the tower structure itself. This nesting approach protects the cables during transportation and assembly while maintaining a compact configuration that fits within transportation size limitations.
3Ease of manufacture
If high-voltage cables are installed after tower assembly, then cable routing is simplified, but electrical connection complexity and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
High-voltage cables are pre-installed within the tower sections during the manufacturing phase, before transportation and final assembly. The cables are routed through predetermined pathways and connected to terminal boxes at appropriate locations, eliminating the need for complex cable installation work after the tower is assembled on-site.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable routing pathways are merged with the tower structure itself, integrating the electrical infrastructure into the mechanical support system. This combination simplifies the overall design and ensures that cable protection and support are built-in rather than added as separate components.
Data Source
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AI summary
A lower tower section (8) for a tower (7) of a wind turbine (1), comprising: connection means (18) at an upper end (18a) thereof for mechanical connection with an upper tower section (9), at least one high-voltage cable (14) extending between a lower and an upper portion (20, 21) of the lower tower section (8) with respect to a vertical direction (V) in the erected state of the tower (7), a platform (16) in the upper portion (21), and a junction box (22) arranged on the platform (16), having at least one output terminal (23) electrically connected with an upper cable end (26) of the at least one high-voltage cable (14) and at least one input terminal (24) configured for electrical connection with at least one further high-voltage cable (15) of the upper tower section (9). Thus, the manufacture and transportation of large wind turbine towers is improved.