Tapered Support Saddles for Wind Turbine Tower Sections
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Solution Overview
Problem
The transportation of wind turbine towers is challenging due to their length, weight, taper profile, and circular cross-section, which makes stabilization and cushioning difficult, especially when the towers are shipped in sections and require robust structural supports to prevent damage during transit.
Innovation Solution
The use of tapered support saddles and cushions that match the taper profile of the tower sections, along with interchangeable inserts, provides uniform force distribution and cushioning to stabilize and protect the towers during transportation, minimizing the risk of damage and optimizing material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If conventional flat support fixtures are used for circular tower sections, then the tower can be transported, but the tower cannot be adequately stabilized due to lack of flat surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The support fixtures are designed with curved/tapered surfaces that match the circular cross-section and taper profile of the tower. This allows the fixtures to conform to the curved surface of the tower, providing adequate contact area for stabilization without requiring flat surfaces on the tower itself.
2Ease of operation
If the tower is shipped as a single piece, then transportation is simpler, but the tower weight (125,000 pounds) makes transportation impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The tower is divided into multiple transportable sections that can be assembled at the installation site. The support fixtures are designed to accommodate these segmented sections, providing stabilization for each section during transportation while enabling the overall tower structure to achieve its full height and capacity.
3Ease of manufacture
If standard support fixtures are used for tapered towers, then manufacturing is simpler, but uniform force distribution cannot be achieved during transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The support fixtures incorporate tapered surfaces that match the local geometry of the tower at different sections. This allows each contact point between the fixture and tower to distribute forces uniformly across the localized contact area, accommodating the varying diameter of the tapered tower sections.
4Power
If taller towers are built to increase power-generating capacity, then energy production increases, but transportation problems are exacerbated
Solution Approach 1:
Taller towers are constructed by assembling multiple sections at the installation site. The support fixtures are designed to stabilize individual sections during transportation, allowing the tower to achieve greater height (and thus power-generating capacity) while maintaining practical transportation requirements for each section.
Data Source
AI summary
A support saddle (20, 24) for supporting a load (14) having a taper profile along an axial length of the load (14). The support saddle (20, 24) comprises a lower surface (20A, 24A) for resting on a surface (10A) of a transportation vehicle load bed (10) and an upper surface (20B, 24B) defining a taper to substantially match the taper profile of the load (10) in a region of the load contacting the upper surface (20B, 24B), the upper surface (20B, 24B) for receiving the load (10). In other embodiments the support saddles (20, 24) are used with inserts (64, 65) and/or cushions (45). One or more of the support saddles (20, 24), the inserts (64, 65) and the cushions (45) may comprise a tapered upper surface to match the taper profile of the load (14).