Tubular structure and wind turbine generator

• US 8,209,913 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2011
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Murata, Hajime
• Primary Examiner(s): WENDELL, MARK R
• Application Number:
  US13/018,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20120049529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 526/510.1, 527/451.7, 527/451.8, 528/36, 528/48, 528/49, 528/45, 52/40, 528/31, 528/34, 528/35, 528/54, 528/51, 528/44
• US Class Current: 52/40
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/08 of metal
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/912 on a tower
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/30 Wind power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 Onshore wind turbines

Abstract

An object of the invention is to propose a tubular structure and a wind turbine generator in which work on an outer surface of the tower structure can be performed easily. A tubular structure comprises: a plurality of tubular sections 21 that are stacked one on top of another in a vertical direction, the adjacent tubular sections 21 being joined together with use of a splice plate 22 arranged on at least one of an inner surface and an outer surface of abutting ends of the adjacent tubular sections 21 and a fastening member 25 fastening the splice plate 22 and the adjacent tubular sections 21; an opening for operation 26 which is arranged in a vicinity of the splice plate 22 on a circumferential surface of the tubular sections 21; and a reinforcing rib 28 arranged in the vertical direction on the circumferential surface of the tubular sections 21, wherein a vertical position of the reinforcing rib 28 includes at least a vertical range where the opening for operation 26 is arranged.

Claims

1. A tubular structure comprising:

a plurality of tubular sections that are stacked one on top of another in a vertical direction, the adjacent tubular sections being joined together with use of a splice plate arranged on at least one of an inner surface and an outer surface of abutting ends of the adjacent tubular sections and a fastening member fastening the splice plate and the adjacent tubular sections;

an opening for operation which is arranged in a vicinity of the splice plate on a circumferential surface of the tubular sections; and

a plurality of reinforcing ribs which is arranged in the vertical direction on the circumferential surface of the tubular sections,

wherein a vertical range of the reinforcing ribs include at least a vertical range of an area where the opening for operation is arranged, said area horizontally extending between adjacent reinforcing ribs and the opening vertically extending between ends of the adjacent ribs.

2. The tubular structure according to claim 1,

wherein the opening for operation has a reinforcing frame which projects from a rim of the opening for operation on at least one of an inner side and an outer side of the tubular sections, and the adjacent reinforcing frames are joined by means of the splice plate and the fastening member.

3. A wind turbine generator, comprising:

a rotor head on which a blade is mounted;

a nacelle which is connected to the rotor head and houses a power generation device; and

a tower which supports the nacelle,

wherein the tower is configured with the tubular structure of claim 2.

4. The tubular structure according to claim 2,

wherein each of the tubular sections has a reduced diameter portion which tapers on a side of the abutting end of the tubular section, and

wherein the opening for operation, the splice plate and the reinforcing rib are arranged on the reduced diameter portion, and the splice plate and the reinforcing rib are housed within an outermost diameter of the tubular section.

5. A wind turbine generator, comprising:

a rotor head on which a blade is mounted;

a nacelle which is connected to the rotor head and houses a power generation device; and

a tower which supports the nacelle,

wherein the tower is configured with the tubular structure of claim 4.

6. The tubular structure according to claim 4, further comprising:

a tubular cover which surrounds an outer circumference of the tubular sections such as to cover at least the opening for operation.

7. A wind turbine generator, comprising:

a rotor head on which a blade is mounted;

a nacelle which is connected to the rotor head and houses a power generation device; and

a tower which supports the nacelle,

wherein the tower is configured with the tubular structure of claim 6.

8. The tubular structure according to claim 6,

wherein the tubular section and the tubular cover are formed integrally, and ends of the tubular covers of the adjacent tubular sections come in contact with each other, and a sealing member is disposed on at least one of the ends of the adjacent tubular covers that are abutted with each other.

9. The tubular structure according to claim 2, further comprising:

a tubular cover which surrounds an outer circumference of the tubular sections such as to cover at least the opening for operation.

10. A wind turbine generator, comprising:

a rotor head on which a blade is mounted;

a nacelle which is connected to the rotor head and houses a power generation device; and

a tower which supports the nacelle,

wherein the tower is configured with the tubular structure of claim 9.

11. The tubular structure according to claim 9,

wherein the tubular section and the tubular cover are formed integrally, and ends of the tubular covers of the adjacent tubular sections come in contact with each other, and a sealing member is disposed on at least one of the ends of the adjacent tubular covers that are abutted with each other.

12. The tubular structure according to claim 1,

wherein each of the tubular sections has a reduced diameter portion which tapers on a side of the abutting end of the tubular section, and

wherein the opening for operation, the splice plate and the reinforcing rib are arranged on the reduced diameter portion, and the splice plate and the reinforcing rib are housed within an outermost diameter of the tubular section.

13. A wind turbine generator, comprising:

a rotor head on which a blade is mounted;

a nacelle which is connected to the rotor head and houses a power generation device; and

a tower which supports the nacelle,

wherein the tower is configured with the tubular structure of claim 12.

14. The tubular structure according to claim 12, further comprising:

a tubular cover which surrounds an outer circumference of the tubular sections such as to cover at least the opening for operation.

15. A wind turbine generator, comprising:

a rotor head on which a blade is mounted;

a nacelle which is connected to the rotor head and houses a power generation device; and

a tower which supports the nacelle,

wherein the tower is configured with the tubular structure of claim 14.

16. The tubular structure according to claim 14,

wherein the tubular section and the tubular cover are formed integrally, and ends of the tubular covers of the adjacent tubular sections come in contact with each other, and a sealing member is disposed on at least one of the ends of the adjacent tubular covers that are abutted with each other.

17. The tubular structure according to claim 1, further comprising:

a tubular cover which surrounds an outer circumference of the tubular sections such as to cover at least the opening for operation.

18. A wind turbine generator, comprising:

a rotor head on which a blade is mounted;

a nacelle which is connected to the rotor head and houses a power generation device; and

a tower which supports the nacelle,

wherein the tower is configured with the tubular structure of claim 17.

19. The tubular structure according to claim 17,

wherein the tubular section and the tubular cover are formed integrally, and ends of the tubular covers of the adjacent tubular sections come in contact with each other, and a sealing member is disposed on at least one of the ends of the adjacent tubular covers that are abutted with each other.

20. A wind turbine generator, comprising:

a rotor head on which a blade is mounted;

a nacelle which is connected to the rotor head and houses a power generation device; and

a tower which supports the nacelle,

wherein the tower is configured with the tubular structure of claim 1.