Additive Tower Wall Reinforcement Using Measured Layer Perimeters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for manufacturing tower structures, particularly wind turbine towers, are limited by transportation regulations and require labor-intensive, costly reinforcement techniques that may not accurately position reinforcing elements.
Innovation Solution
An additive printing system is used to deposit layers of a cementitious material, with a horizontal reinforcement assembly accurately sized and positioned based on the actual midline perimeter of each printed layer, ensuring optimal reinforcement without extensive labor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional methods form pre-cast concrete rings and ship them to site for assembly, then transportation regulations are satisfied, but extensive labor and time are required for on-site assembly and securing
Solution Approach 1:
The tower is divided into multiple printable sections that can be additively manufactured separately and then assembled. This segmentation allows the tower to be produced in manageable units using additive printing technology, reducing on-site assembly complexity and time while satisfying transportation constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
Reinforcing elements are pre-positioned within the concrete material during the additive printing process itself, before the tower sections are assembled on-site. This preliminary placement of reinforcement eliminates the need for labor-intensive post-assembly reinforcement work, directly addressing the time and labor consumption problem.
2Reliability
If conventional methods use manual reinforcement placement, then reinforcement can be added to tower sections, but the positioning of reinforcing elements lacks accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
Manual mechanical placement of reinforcement is replaced with an automated additive printing system that precisely deposits concrete and positions reinforcing elements according to digital models. This substitution ensures accurate positioning and consistent structural integrity across all tower sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The additive printing system incorporates sensors and control systems that monitor and adjust the placement of reinforcing elements in real-time during manufacturing. This feedback mechanism ensures precise positioning accuracy and maintains structural integrity by verifying that reinforcement is placed exactly where required by the design specifications.
3Productivity
If tower sections are manufactured with larger diameters to reduce the number of sections, then fewer assembly operations are needed, but transportation regulations prohibit shipping of such large sections
Solution Approach 1:
The tower is segmented into multiple smaller-diameter sections that can be manufactured using additive printing and transported within regulatory limits. The segmentation strategy optimizes the balance between section size for transportation and the number of sections for assembly, achieving both productivity and compliance goals.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than increasing the diameter dimension of tower sections, the solution adds the vertical dimension by creating taller additive-printed sections that can be stacked. This dimensional shift allows maintaining compliant section diameters while reducing the number of assembly operations through increased section height.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are provided for manufacturing a tower structure. Accordingly, a first printed layer of a wall element is deposited with a printhead assembly, and an actual midline perimeter length of the first printed layer is determined. A horizontal reinforcement assembly is then formed based, at least in part, on the actual midline perimeter length. The formed horizontal reinforcement assembly is positioned in a horizontal orientation on the first printed layer and in axial alignment with the vertical axis of the tower structure. With the horizontal reinforcement assembly positioned on the first printed layer, a second printed layer of the wall element is deposited via the printhead assembly on the horizontal reinforcement layer.