Precast Wind Turbine Foundation Structure With Adjustable Rib Molds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbine foundation designs do not account for varying soil conditions, requiring redesigns and increasing costs and time due to inconsistent ground properties across a wind farm.
Innovation Solution
A system for manufacturing an adaptable precast foundation structure that adjusts to soil conditions using adjustable molds for ribs and plinths, allowing standardization and reusability, reducing on-site complexities and enhancing quality control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed foundation design is used for all wind turbines, then manufacturing and installation are simplified, but the foundation cannot adapt to varying soil conditions across the wind farm
Solution Approach 1:
The foundation is divided into modular components: a standardized plinth and customized ribs. The ribs are segmented into multiple elements that can be independently manufactured and assembled, allowing each rib to be adapted to specific soil conditions while maintaining a uniform plinth design.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the foundation have different levels of customization. The plinth maintains uniform dimensions and reinforcement across all foundations, while the ribs are locally adapted with varying dimensions, reinforcement, and configuration based on the specific geotechnical conditions at each turbine location.
2Reliability
If custom foundation designs are created for each wind turbine location, then soil condition variations are addressed, but manufacturing time and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
A single standardized plinth design serves multiple functions across all foundation types, providing a universal base that can be used regardless of soil conditions. This universal component can be manufactured in bulk using optimized processes, while only the ribs require customization.
Solution Approach 2:
The plinth is designed and manufactured in advance with standardized dimensions and reinforcement configurations. This preliminary action allows the majority of the foundation to be prepared before site-specific rib designs are finalized, enabling parallel manufacturing processes and reducing overall production time.
3Reliability
If the entire foundation is redesigned for each soil condition, then optimal performance is achieved, but design and manufacturing time are excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The foundation is segmented into the plinth and ribs, allowing independent design and manufacturing of each component. This segmentation enables the plinth to be standardized while ribs are customized, reducing the total design time compared to redesigning the entire foundation for each location.
Solution Approach 2:
The rib configuration is made dynamic and adjustable based on soil conditions, while the plinth remains static and standardized. This dynamic approach allows flexible adaptation to varying ground conditions without requiring changes to the entire foundation design.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a system for manufacturing an adaptable precast foundation structure for a wind turbine that is configured taking into account the wind turbine loads and soil conditions allowing that a large part of the foundation structure is homogenized, despite the fact that the transition structure being manufactured with the system is dependent of the type of soil and that the size of said transition structure varies depending on the soil, making it easily adaptable to the geotechnical conditions of each wind turbine position of the windfarm which allows a significant reduction in time and cost. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing an adaptable precast foundation structure for a wind turbine and to a wind turbine manufactured with said method. The invention also relates to a system for manufacturing a precast foundation structure for a wind turbine and related method and precast foundation structure.