Wind Turbine Tower Segment Holding Structure Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly process of wind turbine towers is time-consuming and costly due to the need for on-site assembly of internal components within segmented tower sections.
Innovation Solution
A tower segment design that includes a preassembled first holding structure with moveable end sections, allowing for easier stacking and connection of tower segments, along with a method for manufacturing these segments with preassembled internal components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If internal parts are assembled separately and then assembled within tower segments at the deployment site, then the tower segments can be transported in a blank state, but the assembly process becomes very time-consuming and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The holding structure is pre-assembled within the tower segment shell at the manufacturing site before transport. This preliminary assembly action eliminates the need for time-consuming on-site assembly of internal parts, directly resolving the contradiction between easy transportability and assembly time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding structure is integrated and combined with the tower segment shell as a single pre-assembled unit. This merging of internal parts with the tower segment structure allows the entire assembly to be transported together, eliminating separate assembly steps at the deployment site.
2Productivity
If internal parts are preassembled with tower segments, then assembly time at deployment site is reduced, but transport and storage stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The holding structure incorporates moveable end sections that can adapt to dimensional changes of the tower segment shell during transport and storage. This dynamic design allows the holding structure to maintain stability and functionality while accommodating the natural expansion and contraction of the tower segment, thus preserving both assembly speed and transport stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding structure is designed with adjustable parameters through its moveable end sections, allowing it to adapt to varying dimensional states of the tower segment during different phases (transport, storage, assembly). This parameter adaptability ensures stability is maintained while enabling quick assembly.
3Ease of manufacture
If a holding structure with fixed end sections is used, then manufacturing is simpler, but adaptability to dimensional changes during transport is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The holding structure transitions from a completely fixed design to a dynamic design with moveable end sections. This dynamic characteristic enables the structure to adapt to dimensional changes during transport while maintaining relative manufacturing simplicity through the use of straightforward moveable connections.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a tower segment (1) for a tower of a wind turbine, comprising a tower segment shell (5) for shielding an inner chamber (6) of the tower segment (1) from an environment of the tower and a horizontally arranged first holding structure (9). The first holding structure (9) has a first longitudinal end section (11) and a second longitudinal end section (12), wherein the first longitudinal end section (11) is fixedly attached to a first shell section (13) of the tower segment shell (5), wherein the second longitudinal end section (12) is moveably arranged at a second shell section (14) of the tower segment shell (5). The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing a tower of a wind turbine.