Steel tower for a wind turbine and a method for producing the tower

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10273705-B2
Application number	US-201715853523-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2017
Priority date	Dec 22, 2016
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A steel tower for a wind turbine, including a plurality of cylindrical and/or conical tower sections arranged one above another in a tower lengthwise direction which are joined together via horizontally running annular flanges, at least one tower section having at least two section pieces, which are welded together along their adjacent, horizontal and annular end faces and are welded to a horizontal annular flange along each of the free uppermost and lowermost end face, and the at least one tower section being divided into a plurality of section segments which are joined together by longitudinal profiles and connecting means to form a circumferential tower section. At least one of the annular flanges has at least two separation sections in which the annular flange is divided into annular flange segments. The at least one annular flange forms a monolithic annular flange prior to a severing of the section segments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A steel tower for a wind turbine, the steel tower defining a longitudinal tower direction, the steel tower comprising:
a plurality of annular flanges configured to run horizontally;
a plurality of tower sections arranged one above another and joined together via said annular flanges;
each of said tower sections being either conical or cylindrical;
at least one of said tower sections including at least two section pieces;
said at least two section pieces being welded together along their adjacent, horizontal and annular end faces and being welded in each case to one of said horizontal annular flanges along a free uppermost and a lowermost end face;
said at least one tower section being divided into a plurality of section segments which are joined together by longitudinal profiles and connectors so as to form an encircling tower section;
at least one of said annular flanges having at least two separation areas in which said annular flange is divided into annular flange segments;
said at least one of said annular flanges being configured to form a monolithic annular flange prior to a severing of the section segments;
at least one of said annular flanges is configured as a T-annular flange which includes an annular web and annular flange portions which protrude from both sides of said annular web;
said annular flange portions protrude on both sides of said annular web and have a plurality of through holes arranged in concentric circles of holes;
said annular flange portions, in an undivided state, are each reduced in at least two positions in their cross section by a first slot and a second slot so as to form said separation areas;
said annular flange portions each define an outer circumference and an inner circumference; and,
said first slot extends radially inwardly from an outer circumference of said annular flange portion corresponding thereto and said second slot extends radially outwardly from an inner circumference of said annular flange portion corresponding thereto so as to cause only a segment connection as an extension of said annular web to remain.

2. The steel tower of claim 1 , wherein:
each of said section segments of one of said tower sections having an upper end face and a lower end face; and,
each of said section segments of one of said tower sections having at least one of said annular flange segments at each upper end face and lower end face corresponding thereto.

3. The steel tower of claim 1 , wherein:
the steel tower defines a tower wall;
said longitudinal profiles each have two legs running parallel to each other; and,
each of said longitudinal profiles is connected to a web.

4. The steel tower of claim 1 , wherein:
the steel tower defines a tower wall;
said longitudinal profiles each have two legs running parallel to each other;
each of said longitudinal profiles is connected to a web; and,
at least one of said legs and said web are welded onto an inner wall of said tower section.

5. A steel tower for a wind turbine, the steel tower defining a longitudinal tower direction, the steel tower comprising:
a plurality of annular flanges configured to run horizontally;
a plurality of tower sections arranged one above another and joined together via said annular flanges;
each of said tower sections being either conical or cylindrical;
at least one of said tower sections including at least two section pieces;
said at least two section pieces being welded together along their adjacent, horizontal and annular end faces and being welded in each case to one of said horizontal annular flanges along a free uppermost and a lowermost end face;
said at least one tower section being divided into a plurality of section segments which are joined together by longitudinal profiles and connectors so as to form an encircling tower section;
at least one of said annular flanges having at least two separation areas in which said annular flange is divided into annular flange segments;
said at least one of said annular flanges being configured to form a monolithic annular flange prior to a severing of the section segments;
at least one of said annular flanges is configured as an L-annular flange which includes an annular horizontal flange portion which defines a multiplicity of through holes disposed on a circle of holes and includes an annular vertical flange portion, wherein, in the non-divided state, in at least two positions a cross section of said horizontal flange portion is reduced in each case by a slot so as to form said separation areas;
said annular flange portion defines an inner circumference; and,
said slot extends radially outwardly from said inner circumference of said annular horizontal flange portion corresponding thereto so as to cause only a segment connection as an extension of said annular vertical flange portion to remain.

6. The steel tower of claim 5 , wherein:
each of said section segments of one of said tower sections has an upper end face and a lower end face; and,
each of said section segments of one of said tower sections has at least one of said annular flange segments at each upper end face and lower end face corresponding thereto.

7. The steel tower of claim 5 , wherein:
the steel tower defines a tower wall;
said longitudinal profiles each have two legs running parallel to each other; and,
each of said longitudinal profiles is connected to a web.

8. The steel tower of claim 5 , wherein:
the steel tower defines a tower wall;
said longitudinal profiles each have two legs running parallel to each other;
each of said longitudinal profiles is connected to a web; and,
at least one of said legs and said web are welded onto an inner wall of said tower section.

9. A method for making a steel tower for a wind turbine, the method comprising the steps of:
making a section segment for a tower section, wherein first of all a steel sheet is bent annularly and is welded along a longitudinal edge to form a closed section segment;
welding a plurality of section segments along their end faces running in the circumferential direction to form a tubular body;
aligning a circumferential annular flange on at least one of a section segment, which is not yet welded to the tubular body, and one of the end faces of the tubular body;
welding on the aligned annular flange so as to form the tower section, wherein the annular flange has, at predetermined positions, a separation area in each case with a reduced cross section, and the separation areas each coincide with a planned separation line, wherein said annular flange is configured as a T-annular flange including an annular web and annular flange portions which protrude from both sides of the annular web, the annular flange portions protrude on both sides of the annular web and have a plurality of through holes arranged in concentric circles of holes, the annular flange portions—in an undivided state—are each reduced in at least two positions in their cross section by a first slot and a second slot so as to form the separation areas, the annular flange portions each define an outer circumference and an inner circumference, the first slot extends radially inwardly from the outer circumference of the annular horizontal flange portion corresponding thereto and the second slot extends from the inner circumference of the annular flange portion corresponding thereto so as to cause only a segment connection as an extension of said annular web to remain; and,
severing the tower section including the annular flange along the separation line into section segments and subsequently connecting the severed section segments to form the tower section of the steel tower.

10. The method of claim 9

Assignees

• Nordex Energy Gmbh

Inventors

• Tuerk Ibrahim

Classifications

• E04H12/085 Primary

  Details of flanges for tubular masts · CPC title

• F05B2240/40

  Use of a multiplicity of similar components · CPC title

• Y02E10/728

  Onshore wind turbines · CPC title

• F03D13/10

  Assembly of wind motors; Arrangements for erecting wind motors · CPC title

• E04H12/34

  Arrangements for erecting or lowering towers, masts, poles, chimney stacks, or the like · CPC title