Wind Tower Printing With Self-Guiding Polymeric Rails
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 3D printing methods for wind turbine towers face challenges such as high concrete costs due to unique formulations, lack of steel reinforcement, and the need for large, complex gantries that are difficult to stabilize in windy conditions, limiting their widespread adoption.
Innovation Solution
The method uses standard concrete reinforced with steel rebars, employs printed polymeric shells as rails for the printing process, and utilizes an orbiting carriage system that does not require a large gantry, allowing the tower to 'build itself' while incorporating steel reinforcement and maintaining structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a cartesian 3D gantry is used for concrete dispensing, then the printing process can be automated, but the gantry becomes giant (10m planar for tower diameter and 30m height) and requires highly skilled technicians for installation and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The printed wind tower part itself serves as the rail for the orbiting carriage, allowing the structure to 'build itself' without requiring external giant gantries. The tower sections are printed in place and then serve as the guiding rails for subsequent printing operations, eliminating the need for complex gantry installation and removal by skilled technicians.
2Manufacturing precision
If a giant gantry is used to support the printing system, then the tower can be printed with required precision, but the gantry becomes unstable in windy conditions (wind speeds >15m/s) and requires extreme stability
Solution Approach 1:
The printed tower structure serves as its own support and guidance system. The orbiting carriage travels on rails formed by previously printed tower sections, which are inherently stable and anchored to the ground. This eliminates the vulnerability of external giant gantries to wind loads while maintaining printing precision through the constrained orbiting motion.
3Quantity of substance
If standard concrete is used instead of specially formulated concrete, then concrete costs are reduced, but the concrete must meet special requirements (fast drying time, high flowability) for 3D printing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the concrete formulation parameters to achieve both cost-effectiveness and printability. By adjusting water-cement ratio, aggregate size distribution, and adding specific admixtures, the concrete achieves high flowability for nozzle passage and controlled setting time for layer bonding, while using standard, readily available materials rather than expensive specialized formulations.
4Strength
If steel reinforcement is added to the printed concrete, then dynamic problems (lack of stretching resistance) are solved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Steel reinforcement bars are pre-positioned within the concrete during the printing process. The orbiting carriage system incorporates mechanisms to place rebars in the correct positions before concrete is deposited and cured, ensuring proper reinforcement placement without requiring complex post-processing operations or specialized equipment.
Data Source
AI summary
A printing system for printing the lower base of a wind tower or the entire wind tower. The system includes a printing device configured to print the coaxial polymeric shells with an empty volume between the shells. The printing device uses the coaxial polymeric shells as driving rails. A concrete material deposition device configured to deposit the concrete material into the empty volume between the polymeric shells, and a rebar handling device is configured to deliver rebars into the volume between the polymeric shells to reinforce the deposited concrete material.