Subsection of a tower section, a tower and a method for manufacturing a subsection of a tower section

• US 20190003199A1
• Filed: 06/23/2016
• Published: 01/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ENO Energy Systems GmbH
• Original Assignee: ENO Energy Systems GmbH
• Inventors: PORM, Karsten, BOCKHOLT, Stefan, JAKOWSKI, Klaus, AHRENS, Robin, BULL, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 27/425 specially adapted for wind motors masts wind motors per se F03D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/085 Details of flanges for tubular masts
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/342 Arrangements for stacking tower sections on top of each other E04H12/344 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/9121 on a lattice tower
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 Onshore wind turbines

Abstract

A subsection 100 of a tower section comprises a shell segment 120 of the tower section and at least a longitudinal flange 130 mounted to a longitudinal side of the shell segment 120 for connecting to a longitudinal flange of a further subsection of the tower section. Here, the longitudinal flange 130 comprises a part 132 of a surface contour extending from a contact surface 136 of the longitudinal flange 130 which is provided for a connection to a longitudinal flange of a further subsection to a connecting surface 134 connected to the shell segment 120. The part 132 of the surface contour comprises a distance to a contacting plane 106 passing through the contact surface 136.

Claims

1. A tower comprising a plurality of tower sections, wherein at least one tower section comprises at least two subsections, wherein the at least two subsections each include at least one longitudinal flange connected to a shell segment of the tower section, wherein a one-piece longitudinal flange of a first subsection of the at least two subsections is directly connected to a one-piece longitudinal flange of a second subsection of the at least two subsections, wherein a gap exists between the shell segment of the first subsection and the shell segment of the second subsection,

wherein a gap exists between ends of the two neighboring, one-piece longitudinal flanges facing the shell segments,

wherein the gap between the two neighboring, one-piece longitudinal flanges is larger than the gap between the shell segments of the at least two subsections.

2. The tower according to claim 1, wherein the first subsection of the tower section comprises the one-piece longitudinal flange mounted to a longitudinal side of the shell segment for connecting to the longitudinal flange of the second subsection of the tower section,

wherein the one-piece longitudinal flange of the first subsection comprises a part of a surface contour extending from a contact surface of the longitudinal flange of the first subsection which is provided for a connection to the longitudinal flange of the second subsection to a connecting surface connected to the shell segment of the first subsection,

wherein the part of the surface contour comprises a distance to a contacting plane passing through the contact surface.

3. The tower according to claim 2, wherein the part of the surface contour of the longitudinal flange forms a notch or an undercut-shaped recess.

4. The tower according to claim 2, wherein the part of the surface contour of the longitudinal flange comprises a distance of more than 1.5 mm to the contacting plane at one end adjacent to the connecting surface connected to the shell segment.

5. The tower according to claim 1, wherein the shell segment of the first subsection comprises a shape which substantially forms part of a cylinder barrel-shaped or truncated cone jacket-shaped geometry.

6. The tower according to claim 1, wherein the gap between the two neighboring longitudinal flanges is more than 5 mm larger than the gap between the shell segments of the at least two subsections.

7. A wind turbine comprising a tower according to claim 1.

8. A method for manufacturing at least a subsection of a tower section, the method comprising:

mounting two neighboring, one-piece longitudinal flanges to a shell of a tower section, so that the two neighboring, one-piece longitudinal flanges are directly in contact with one another along a contact surface; and

separating the shell at least along the two neighboring, one-piece longitudinal flanges, wherein a gap exists between the ends of the two neighboring, one-piece longitudinal flanges after mounting and before separating at the ends of the two neighboring, one-piece longitudinal flanges facing the shell.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the two neighboring longitudinal flanges are connected to each other by a detachable connection during separation of the shell.

10. A method for manufacturing a tower section, the method comprising:

mounting a first one-piece longitudinal flange of a first subsection of a tower section to a shell of the tower section;

detachably connecting a second one-piece longitudinal flange of a second subsection of the tower section to the first one-piece longitudinal flange of the first subsection after mounting the first one-piece longitudinal flange of the first subsection to the shell of the tower section, so that the two neighboring, one-piece longitudinal flanges are directly in contact with one another along a contact surface;

mounting the second one-piece longitudinal flange of the second subsection of the tower section to the shell of the tower section after detachably connecting the second one-piece longitudinal flange of the second subsection of the tower section to the first one-piece longitudinal flange of the first subsection; and

separating the shell at least along the two neighboring, one-piece longitudinal flanges, wherein at least after the separation a gap exists at the two neighboring, one-piece longitudinal flanges between the ends of the two neighboring, one-piece longitudinal flanges facing the shell.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the gap exists between the ends of the two neighboring, one-piece longitudinal flanges after mounting the second one-piece longitudinal flange and before separating at the ends of the two neighboring, one-piece longitudinal flanges facing the shell or wherein the shell is separated such that after separating the gap exists at the ends of the two neighboring, one-piece longitudinal flanges facing the shell between the ends of the two neighboring, one-piece longitudinal flanges.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising detaching the detachable connection between the two neighboring, one-piece longitudinal flanges for transporting to a destination of the tower.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein before mounting to the shell the one-piece longitudinal flange of the first subsection comprises a part of a surface contour extending from a contact surface of the longitudinal flange of the first subsection which is provided for a connection to the longitudinal flange of the second subsection to a connecting surface connected to the shell of the tower section.

wherein the part of the surface contour comprises a distance to a contacting plane passing through the contact surface.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein during mounting to the shell the one-piece longitudinal flange of the first subsection is mounted to the shell by a welding seam at a side facing away from the second longitudinal flange and at a side facing the second longitudinal flange.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein during mounting to the shell the one-piece longitudinal flange of the second subsection is mounted to the shell by a welding seam at a side facing away from the first longitudinal flange.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein after separating the shell and after detaching the detachable connection, the one-piece longitudinal flange of the second subsection is additionally mounted to the shell by a welding seam at a side facing the first longitudinal flange.