Wind Turbine Tower Concrete Segment Wall Thickness for Joint Stress Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbine towers with concrete segments experience undesirable local effects in the connection area between adjacent sections, such as increased local bending moments, compressive stresses, and circumferential stresses, requiring additional reinforcement and affecting fatigue life.
Innovation Solution
A concrete segment design with varying wall thickness and connection flanges that minimize local effects by optimizing the thickness distribution and load path, reducing the need for reinforcement and enhancing fatigue life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If an inward thickness increase is provided in the connection area to widen the contact area for concrete-grout interfaces, then the stress-bearing capacity of the filler material is improved, but local bending moments and circumferential stresses increase causing undesirable local effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different wall thicknesses at different locations: the connection area has a first wall thickness while the central area has a second, greater wall thickness. This localized thickness variation optimizes the contact area for stress bearing in the connection area while avoiding the harmful local effects that would result from an inward thickness increase throughout the entire structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetry by creating an asymmetric wall thickness distribution where the connection area and central area have different thicknesses. This asymmetric design allows the structure to better distribute loads and stresses, preventing the local bending moments and circumferential stresses that arise from symmetric inward thickness increases.
2Strength
If the wall thickness is increased in the central area to reduce circumferential stresses, then the structural integrity is improved, but the weight of the concrete section increases requiring heavier lifting equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the increased wall thickness specifically in the central area where it is most needed for structural integrity and stress distribution, while keeping the connection area thickness optimized for its specific function. This localized approach provides the necessary strength without uniformly increasing the weight of the entire concrete section.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the wall thickness parameter differentially across different areas of the concrete section. By adjusting the thickness parameter locally rather than uniformly, the design achieves improved structural integrity in critical areas while minimizing the overall weight increase that would require heavier lifting equipment.
3Reliability
If additional reinforcement is added to handle local bending moments, then the fatigue life is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by optimizing the wall thickness specifically in the connection area and central area to inherently resist local bending moments and circumferential stresses. This geometric optimization reduces the need for additional reinforcement measures, thereby maintaining fatigue life while avoiding increased device complexity and manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of local bending moments into a benefit by designing the wall thickness distribution to proactively counteract these moments. By anticipating and designing against the harmful effects through appropriate thickness variations, the need for complex additional reinforcement is eliminated, maintaining simplicity while ensuring fatigue resistance.
Data Source
AI summary
The object of the invention is a concrete segment of a section of a wind turbine tower which minimizes the undesirable local effects in the connection area between adjacent concrete sections, a section comprising at least two concrete segments, a set comprising two adjacent sections and a joint disposed between the two adjacent sections, a tower comprising at least one set and a mould configured to cast a concrete segment.