Flangeless wind tower

• US 8,056,297 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2008
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Sathian, Sujith, Mathai, Manu, Cairo, Ronald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Glessner; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ihezie; Joshua
• Application Number:
  US12/237,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20100071275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 526/510.1, 526/510.7, 528/34, 528/48, 523/01, 403/292, 403/293, 403/336
• US Class Current: 52/651.01
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/08 of metal
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/912 on a tower
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 Onshore wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/55 Member ends joined by inserted section

Abstract

A method for stiffening a wind turbine tower employing fingerplate assemblies on flangeless joints between adjacent tubular tower sections. The method includes limiting the intercan gap between adjacent end surfaces of the tower sections at the flangeless joints and selecting a number of fingerplates to fasten each flangeless joints to limit distortion. Establishing dimensions for the fingerplates may further minimize localized tower distortion. Selecting a material for the fingerplate with a lower Young'"'"'s modulus than a material for the tubular section also results in reduced localized tower distortion. Attaching a coverplate to a top tubular section limits tip displacement for the tower.

Claims

1. A wind turbine tower comprising:

a plurality of tubular sections, wherein each tubular section of the plurality of tubular sections includes substantially planar end surfaces defining an intercan gap between adjacent tubular sections, the intercan gap being limited to a predetermined value promoting tower stiffness;

a plurality of flangeless joints, wherein each individual flangeless joint is arranged between opposing end surfaces of adjacent tubular sections;

a plurality of fingerplate assemblies uniformly distributed around a periphery of each flangeless joint, wherein each fingerplate includes a circumferential angle, a longitudinal dimension, and a radial thickness; and

a coverplate attached within a top end of a top tubular section of the plurality of tubular sections, the coverplate defining a radius substantially equal to an inner radius of the top tubular section, the coverplate being formed from a material having a higher Young'"'"'s modulus than a Young'"'"'s modulus for a material used to form each of the plurality of fingerplate assemblies.

2. The wind turbine tower according to claim 1, wherein the intercan gap is limited to less than about 3 mm.

3. The wind turbine tower according to claim 1, wherein the intercan gap is limited to less than about 1.0 mm.

4. The wind turbine tower according to claim 1, wherein the intercan gap is limited to less than about 0.5 mm.

5. The wind turbine tower according to claim 4, wherein the intercan gap is limited to approximately 0.0 mm.

6. The wind turbine tower according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of fingerplate assemblies comprises three fingerplate assemblies uniformly distributed around the periphery of each flangeless joint at a circumferential angle of about 40 degrees to 55 degrees, and wherein each of the three fingerplate assemblies uniformly distributed around the periphery of each flangeless joint has a designated longitudinal dimension of approximately 1000 mm to 1100 mm, and wherein a radial thickness of the fingerplate assemblies is approximately 40 mm.

7. The wind turbine tower according to claim 6, wherein each of the three fingerplate assemblies uniformly distributed around the periphery of each flangeless joint comprises:

four bolt rows including approximately eight bolts to ten bolts per bolt row.

8. The wind turbine tower according to claim 6, wherein each of the three fingerplate assemblies uniformly distributed around the periphery of each flangeless joint is formed from a material having a Young'"'"'s modulus lower than a Young'"'"'s modulus for a material used to form each of the plurality of tubular sections.

9. The wind turbine tower according to claim 1, wherein the coverplate comprises at least one backing stiffener.

10. The wind tower according to claim 9, wherein the at least one backing stiffener is attached to a bottom surface of the coverplate.

11. The wind tower according to claim 10, further comprising a plurality of backing stiffeners, the plurality of backing stiffeners being attached to the bottom surface so as to substantially occupy the entire bottom surface.

12. The wind tower according to claim 9, wherein the at least one backing stiffener is configured as at least one of an I-beam or an H-beam.

13. The wind tower according to claim 1, wherein the intercan gap is limited to less than about 1.5 mm.

14. The wind tower according to claim 1, wherein the coverplate has a cylindrical geometry or a conical geometry.

15. The wind tower according to claim 1, wherein the coverplate defines a plurality of holes configured to receive a plurality of fasteners.

16. The wind tower according to claim 15, further comprising an annular flange attached to the top end of the top tubular section, the plurality of fasteners extending through the annular flange and into the plurality of holes defined in the coverplate.

17. A wind turbine tower comprising:

a plurality of tubular sections, wherein each tubular section of the plurality of tubular sections includes substantially planar end surfaces forming an intercan gap between adjacent tubular sections, the intercan gap being limited to a predetermined value promoting tower stiffness;

a plurality of flangeless joints, wherein each individual flangeless joint is arranged between opposing end surfaces of adjacent tubular sections;

a plurality of fingerplate assemblies uniformly distributed around a periphery of each flangeless joint, each of the plurality of the fingerplate assemblies including a circumferential angle, a longitudinal length and a radial thickness, each of the plurality of fingerplate assemblies being formed from a material with a Young'"'"'s modulus lower than a Young'"'"'s modulus for a material used to form each of the plurality of tubular section; and

a coverplate attached within a top end of a top tubular section of the plurality of tubular sections, the coverplate defining a radius substantially equal to an inner radius of the top tubular section, wherein the coverplate is formed from a material with a high Young'"'"'s modulus relative to the Young'"'"'s modulus for the material used to form each of the plurality of fingerplate assemblies.