UHPC Wind Turbine Tower Hexagonal Cross-Section
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wind turbine towers, primarily made of steel, face challenges such as high transportation costs, design limitations due to fatigue, and limited lifespan, making it difficult to efficiently support taller turbines at higher elevations.
Innovation Solution
The use of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), high performance concrete (HPC), and high strength concrete (HSC) materials to create modular, cost-effective wind turbine towers that can reach hub heights of 80 meters or more, resisting wind and extreme loads, with designs that include hexagonal cross-sections and post-tensioned connections for enhanced strength and longevity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If steel tubular towers are used to support wind turbines at higher elevations, then the turbines can access higher velocities and less turbulent wind, but transportation costs increase significantly and practical limitations on tower size occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from steel to concrete, fundamentally altering the density, strength-to-weight ratio, and durability characteristics of the tower structure. This parameter change enables taller towers with reduced transportation costs and extended design life while maintaining the capability to support turbines at elevations that access higher wind velocities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material systems combining concrete with steel reinforcement and prestressing elements. This composite approach leverages the compressive strength of concrete, the tensile strength of steel, and the prestressing force to create a tower structure that achieves both height and durability requirements while controlling material usage and transportation costs
2Duration of action of stationary object
If steel towers are designed for longer lifespan, then the design life increases, but the tower cost increases due to fatigue design constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the governing material parameter from steel fatigue life to concrete durability, fundamentally altering the design life trajectory. Concrete structures are not subject to fatigue in the same manner as steel, allowing for extended design lives of 100 years or more without the exponential cost increases associated with steel fatigue design constraints
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adopts a design philosophy where the tower structure is designed for extreme longevity, effectively making it a permanent infrastructure element. By designing concrete towers for 100+ year service life, the structure becomes a long-term asset that amortizes initial construction costs over an extended period, reducing the effective cost per year of operation
3Ease of manufacture
If regular strength concrete is used for wind turbine towers, then the material is readily available, but much larger base dimensions are required compared to steel towers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the concrete strength parameter from regular strength to high-performance concrete with compressive strengths exceeding 10,000 psi. This parameter change enables smaller base dimensions while maintaining structural integrity, as the higher strength concrete can better resist the bending moments and shear forces in taller tower configurations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates prestressing elements that apply preliminary compressive forces to the concrete structure before operational loads are applied. This preliminary action pre-compresses the concrete, allowing it to better resist tensile stresses from wind loads, thereby enabling smaller base dimensions while maintaining availability of concrete materials
Data Source
AI summary
A wind turbine tower system includes a wind turbine tower with a height of at least 100 meters, said wind turbine tower. The wind turbine tower includes a plurality of hexagonal-shaped or other shapes of vertical columns comprised of a concrete composition and a plurality of panels, each of the plurality of panels extending between adjacent vertical columns. The plurality of vertical columns and the plurality of panels are arranged to provide a hexagonal cross-section for the wind turbine tower.