Wind Turbine Tower Wooden Panel Wedge Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind power plant tower manufacturing methods face challenges in achieving high accuracy and ease of production, particularly with large wooden panels that require precise connection and tolerance compensation.
Innovation Solution
The use of vertically extending wedges between wooden panels, which are glued and secured with screws, allows for accurate and strong connections while maintaining a seamless external appearance, with the wedges being designed to be invisible from the outside and the screws protected from moisture, enabling precise adjustment and compensation of tolerances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If wooden panels are connected using traditional methods, then the connection strength may be sufficient, but the manufacturing accuracy and ease of adjustment are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge is designed as a movable component that can be inserted and adjusted to different positions between the wooden panels. During assembly, the wedge can be moved from the inside of the tower outwards until the desired external dimensions are reached, allowing dynamic adjustment to compensate for manufacturing tolerances and achieve precise connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge acts as an intermediary element between the wooden panels, providing a mechanical means to adjust and control the spacing and alignment of panels. The wedge mediates the connection by being insertable and adjustable, enabling precise positioning while simplifying the assembly process.
2Ease of manufacture
If the wedge is made visible from the outside for structural reasons, then the connection function is clear, but the aesthetic appearance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge is extracted from the traditional visible external position and relocated to the interior of the tower structure. By moving the functional element inside the structure, the external aesthetic contour is preserved while the wedge continues to perform its connection and adjustment functions internally.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge is nested within the interior space of the tower segment, hidden within the structure rather than being exposed externally. This nesting approach allows the wedge to fulfill its structural function while remaining invisible from the outside, maintaining the clean external appearance.
3Ease of operation
If screws are exposed on the outside for assembly simplicity, then the assembly process is simplified, but moisture protection and sealing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of screwing from the outside in, the screwing operation is inverted to proceed from the inside out. The screw opening is made on the interior side of the segment, allowing screws to be accessed and operated from the protected interior environment, thereby preventing moisture and weather exposure while maintaining assembly simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The interior screw arrangement allows the assembly process to serve itself by protecting the fastening elements from environmental damage. The structure's own interior space is utilized to provide both assembly accessibility and automatic protection against moisture, eliminating the need for additional sealing measures.
4Manufacturing precision
If the wedge angle is made small for precision, then the external dimensions can be set precisely, but the tolerance compensation range is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge is pre-positioned and inserted to a specific depth during assembly to achieve the desired external dimensions. By controlling the insertion depth of the wedge, precise dimensional settings are achieved while the wedge's geometric design provides sufficient tolerance compensation range for practical manufacturing variations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method simplifies the production of wind power plant towers by allowing for easy and accurate connection of large wooden panels, ensuring high strength and durability while maintaining an attractive appearance and avoiding additional sealing requirements.
Implementation Method 1
The wedge is advantageously glued to the two adjacent wooden panels at the joint edge.
Implementation Method 2
The wedge is advantageously connected to at least one wooden plate adjoining the wedge via at least one screw.
Implementation Method 3
The pressure required for the adhesive connection can be applied via the screw. At the same time, the wedge and wooden panels are fixed to one another via the screw during the curing time of the adhesive
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
A tower (3) for a wind turbine (1) has at least one ring-shaped segment (7 to 16) made of wood, which has a polygonal cross-section. The segment (7 to 16) is constructed of wooden panels (36, 37, 38, 39) connected to one another at their vertically extending edges. The wooden panels (36, 37, 38, 39) are connected at their butt joints (40) by means of vertically extending wedges (55) arranged between the wooden panels (36, 37, 38, 39). A method for manufacturing the tower (3) provides for the wooden panels (36, 37, 38, 39) to be coated and then, in a subsequent process step, joined to form ring-shaped segments (7 to 16). Vertically extending wedges (55) are arranged between circumferentially adjacent wooden panels (36, 37, 38, 39) and glued to the wooden panels (36, 37, 38, 39).