Tripod Wind Power Tower Structure for Taller Crane-Free Construction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wind power generation towers face issues with increased weight and foundation size due to larger concrete structures, and are limited by the height of construction cranes, which restricts tower height.
Innovation Solution
A wind power generation tower design featuring a tripod structure with hollow concrete legs, a cone-shaped intermediate portion, and a steel upper portion, allowing for increased height without excessive weight or foundation size, and enabling construction without the need for high cranes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the height of the concrete structure is increased to increase the tower height, then the tower height is improved, but the weight of the concrete structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tower is divided into three distinct segments: tower lower portion (concrete), tower intermediate portion (cone-shaped hollow concrete), and tower upper portion (steel pipe). This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - the concrete portions provide foundational stability while the steel upper portion enables height extension without proportionally increasing concrete weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The tower employs a composite structure combining concrete and steel materials. The lower portions use concrete for its compressive strength and mass, while the upper portion transitions to steel for its tensile strength and lighter weight-to-strength ratio, enabling height increase without excessive weight gain.
2Strength
If the cross-sectional shape of the concrete structure is made larger toward the bottom to resolve lack of rigidity, then the rigidity is improved, but the volume and weight of the concrete structure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tower cross-section varies locally along its height - wider at the base for stability and rigidity, gradually narrowing toward the top. The cone-shaped intermediate portion specifically implements this gradient, providing maximum rigidity where needed at the lower portions while reducing material usage in upper sections.
3Ease of manufacture
If the wind power generation tower is constructed from the bottom up, then the construction process is simplified, but the tower height is limited by the crane height
Solution Approach 1:
The tower components (lower portion, intermediate portion, upper portion) are prepared and positioned in advance at lower elevations using smaller cranes. The structure is then progressively elevated and extended, allowing the final tower to exceed the height of any single crane used during construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The construction approach transitions from purely vertical assembly to a multi-dimensional process involving horizontal positioning, vertical elevation, and progressive extension. Components are assembled in a staged manner that utilizes both vertical and horizontal space, enabling height extension beyond crane limitations.
Data Source
AI summary
A wind power generation tower for supporting a wind power generator in mid-air includes a tower lower portion that includes at least three legs made of hollow concrete and erected on a foundation so as to tilt toward each other, a tower intermediate portion arranged in a center of the at least three legs in a plan view, and a tower upper portion protruding upward from the tower intermediate portion to support the wind power generator. The tower intermediate portion is made of cone-shaped hollow concrete, and includes a lower end supported by the legs and an upper end thinner than the lower end. The tower upper portion is made of a steel pipe, and includes a lower half portion supported by the upper end of the tower intermediate portion and an exposed body portion.