Vertical joint assembly for wind turbine towers

• US 9,850,674 B1
• Filed: 10/13/2016
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Paura, Ingo, Voss, Stefan, Schmitt, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Laux, Jessica
• Application Number:
  US15/292,282
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• 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: F03D 13/10 Assembly of wind motors; Arrangements for erecting wind motors
• 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 2260/30 Retaining components in desired mutual position
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/40 Use of a multiplicity of similar components
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 Onshore wind turbines

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a tower assembly of a wind turbine having a joint assembly configured therein. The tower assembly includes at least one generally cylindrical tower section. The tower section is split into at least a first vertical tower section and a second vertical tower section. Each of the first and second vertical tower sections define an interior wall and an exterior wall separated by a thickness. Further, the tower assembly includes a joint assembly that secures the first and second vertical tower sections together. The joint assembly includes a first L-flange mounted to the interior wall of the first vertical tower section and a second L-flange mounted to the interior wall of the second vertical tower section. The first L-flange faces in a first direction and the second L-flange faces away from the first direction. Further, the first and second L-flanges are separated from the interior walls of the first and second vertical tower sections via an open space.

Claims

1. A tower assembly for a wind turbine, comprising:

at least one generally cylindrical tower section, the tower section being split into at least a first vertical tower section and a second vertical tower section, each of the first and second vertical tower sections defining an interior wall and an exterior wall separated by a thickness;

a joint assembly securing the first and second vertical tower sections together, the joint assembly comprising;

a first L-flange mounted to the interior wall of the first vertical tower section, the first L-flange facing in a first direction; and

, a second L-flange mounted to the interior wall of the second vertical tower section, the second L-flange facing away from the first direction, the first and second L-flanges separated from the interior walls of the first and second vertical tower sections via an open space;

wherein the first and second L-flanges are mounted to the interior walls of the first and second vertical tower sections via one or more first fasteners that extend from the first and second L-flanges into the open space and through at least a portion of the thicknesses of the first and second vertical tower sections, respectively.

2. The tower assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second L-flanges each comprise a slotted opening configured to receive the one or more first fasteners, the slotted openings configured to allow for adjusting a circumferential position of the L-flanges.

3. The tower assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more first fasteners comprises a threaded stud welded to the first and second L-flanges and a maintenance-free nut secured to the threaded stud.

4. The tower assembly of claim 1, wherein the joint assembly further comprises a bushing configured with each of the one or more first fasteners in the open space.

5. The tower assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second L-flanges are joined to each other via one or more second fasteners.

6. The tower assembly of claim 5, wherein each of the one or more second fasteners comprises a maintenance-free bolt and a maintenance-free nut.

7. The tower assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of tower sections stacked end-to-end atop one another and coupled together to form the tower.

8. The tower assembly of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of tower sections comprises at least one flange configured to couple to an adjacent tower section.