Wind turbine tower and method for constructing a wind turbine tower

• US 8,250,833 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2008
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Thomsen, Jens
• Primary Examiner(s): Canfield, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Herring, Brent W
• Application Number:
  US12/157,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20090021019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 52/40, 528/31, 528/38, 528/43, 528/44, 528/45, 522/96, 527/450.4, 527/451.2, 416/DIG.6, 248/127, 248/158, 248/159, 343/890, 343/874, 174/45.R
• US Class Current: 52/845
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 2017/0078 Suction piles, suction cans
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/085 Details of flanges for tubular masts
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/20 Arrangements for mounting or supporting wind motors; Masts or towers for wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2230/00 Manufacture
• 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: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A wind turbine tower is provided, which comprises a number of segments with a polygonal cross section, each segment comprising a number of flat plates which are connected to each other so as to form the polygonal cross section. Further, a method for constructing a wind turbine tower which comprises segments assembled of flat plates is disclosed, wherein the flat plates are connected to each other so as to form segments with a polygonal cross section and the segments are connected to each other so as to form the tower.

Claims

1. A wind turbine tower configured to support a rotor assembly having a hub and at least one blade, comprising:

a plurality of wind-turbine-tower segments form the wind turbine tower, each wind-turbine-tower segment having a polygonal cross section, each wind-turbine-tower segment comprises;

a plurality of flat plates connected to each other to form the polygonal cross section, each flat plate having a first side and a second side facing away from the first side; and

a plurality of splice plates, which are bent, connect the plurality of flat plates to each other, each of the plurality of splice plates abut to the first side of two of the plurality of flat plates that are arranged adjacently such that the plurality of splice plates are arranged on an inside of the polygon cross section; and

an external surface of the wind turbine tower formed from the second side of the plurality of flat plates;

wherein the flat plates substantially enclose the splice plates.

2. The wind turbine tower as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wind-turbine-tower segments are connected to each other via devices selected from the group consisting of splice plates, flanges, bolts, nuts, bolt extensions, washers, and combinations thereof.

3. The wind turbine tower as claimed in claim 2, wherein the splice plates are connected to the flat plates by bolts or nuts.

4. The wind turbine tower as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flat plates and/or the splice plates are made of steel or rust resistant steel.

5. The wind turbine tower as claimed in claim 4, wherein the flat plates and/or the splice plates are pre-treated with a friction creating material on a jointing surface.

6. The wind turbine tower as claimed in claim 5, wherein the flat plates have a rectangular shape, whereby the wind turbine tower has a cylindrical shape.

7. The wind turbine tower as claimed in claim 6, wherein the joint between two flat plates or between a flat plate and a splice plate comprises a seal stripe or a compound.

8. The wind turbine tower as claimed in claim 5, wherein the flat plates have a trapezoid shape, whereby the wind turbine tower has a conical shape.

9. The wind turbine tower as claimed in claim 5, wherein a cross section of the segments is a regular polygon so that an angle between two flat plates that are adjacent has the same value.

10. The wind turbine tower as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cross section of the segments is an irregular polygon, so that an angle between two flat plates that are adjacent varies.

11. The wind turbine tower as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one splice plate comprises a fixing device.

12. A method for constructing a wind turbine tower configured to support a rotor assembly having a hub and at least one blade, comprising:

providing a plurality of flat plates having a first side and a second side facing away from the first side;

connecting the flat plates to each other via a plurality of bent splice plates to form wind-turbine-tower segments each having a polygonal cross section, each bent splice plate abuts to the first side of two of the plurality of flat plates which are arranged adjacently to form the interior of the wind-turbine-tower segments; and

connecting the wind-turbine-tower segments to one another to form the wind turbine tower such that an external surface of the wind turbine tower formed from the second side of the plurality of flat plates;

wherein the flat plates substantially enclose the splice plates.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the wind-turbine-tower segments are connected to each other by splice plates or flanges.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the flat plates and/or the wind-turbine-tower segments are connected to each other in a horizontal position.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the flat plates and/or the wind-turbine-tower segments are turned into a predefined position by a rotation tool for connecting the flat plates and/or the wind-turbine-tower segments to each other.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein each wind-turbine-tower segment or the tower is erected after each wind-turbine-tower segment or the tower is assembled.