Wind turbine tower

• US 9,651,029 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2015
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blade Dynamics Limited (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: Blade Dynamics Limited (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Hayden, Paul, Gutierrez, Joaquin
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Adriana
• Application Number:
  US14/627,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20150159635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/02 Structures made of specified materials
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/08 of metal
• 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 2240/912 on a tower
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2250/611 undulated
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/301 Retaining bolts or nuts
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/96 Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2280/2006 Carbon, e.g. graphite
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2280/6003 Composites; e.g. fibre-reinforced
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2280/6013 Fibres
• 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 self-supporting wind turbine tower with walls comprising an upper portion (12) and a lower portion (14). Substantially all of the upper portion (12) is formed from a composite plastic. Substantially all of the lower portion (14) is formed from mild steel.

Claims

1. A self-supporting wind turbine tower with walls comprising:

an upper portion formed from a composite plastic, the upper portion being subdivided into a plurality of segments arranged in a hoop direction of the tower; and

a separate, lower portion mounted on a foundation, the upper portion mounted atop the lower portion so as to form the tower, the lower portion formed from a mild steel,

wherein the self-supporting tower comprises a reduced weight and an increased natural frequency as compared to a tower of an equivalent size constructed entirely of steel.

2. A self-supporting wind turbine tower according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion comprises from 2.0% to 80% of the length of the tower.

3. A self-supporting wind turbine tower according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of segments arranged in an axial direction of the tower.

4. A self-supporting wind turbine tower according to claim 1, further comprising a gasket positioned between the upper and lower portions.

5. A self-supporting wind turbine tower according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion is hollow.

6. A self-supporting wind turbine tower according to claim 1, wherein the lower portion is hollow.

7. A self-supporting wind turbine tower according to claim 1, wherein the composite plastic comprises a fibre reinforced plastic selected from a group including standard modulus carbon fibre, intermediate modulus carbon fibre, high modulus carbon fibre, and basalt.

8. A self-supporting wind turbine tower according to claim 7, wherein between 50% and 100% of the fibres are arranged at 0 degrees to the axial direction, up to 50% of the fibres are arranged at +/−

45 degrees to the axial direction and up to 30% of the fibres are arranged at 90 degrees to the axial direction.

9. A self-supporting wind turbine tower according to claim 1, wherein the composite plastic comprises a viscoelastic material.

10. A self-supporting wind turbine tower according to claim 9, wherein the viscoelastic material is provided as a viscoelastic core.

11. A self-supporting wind turbine tower according to claim 9, wherein the composite plastic comprises a fibre reinforced plastic having a viscoelastic polymer matrix.

12. A self-supporting wind turbine tower according to claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the tower comprises any of undulations, cavities, or protrusions arranged to reduce drag and/or vorticity downwind of the tower.

13. A self-supporting wind turbine tower according to claim 5, wherein the upper portion has a wall thickness which varies along the length of the upper portion.

14. A self-supporting wind turbine tower according to claim 6, wherein the lower portion has a wall thickness which varies along the length of the lower portion.

15. A self-supporting wind turbine tower according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion has a specific stiffness of at least 60 Gpa/(g/cm³).

16. A self-supporting wind turbine tower according to claim 1, wherein the lower portion has a specific stiffness of less than 30 Gpa/(g/cm³).

17. A wind turbine comprising a self-supporting wind turbine tower according to claim 1.