Bolt connection for connecting two flanges

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11466713-B2
Application number	US-201916695351-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2019
Priority date	Nov 29, 2018
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

A bolt connection is provided for connecting two flanges. The bolt connection includes a threaded bar extending through a hole of a first flange and a hole of a second flange, the first flange abutting the second flange; an anti-fatigue sleeve; and a nut. The anti-fatigue sleeve is disposed on the threaded bar on the side of the first flange between the nut and the first flange, the nut is configured to be screwed onto the threaded bar and is configured to press the anti-fatigue sleeve against the first flange to fasten the first flange and the second flange together.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tubular tower structure, comprising:
a plurality of tower sections,
a bolt connection for connecting two flanges of adjacent tower sections of the plurality of tower sections, the bolt connection being used to reconnect at least two of the plurality of tower sections when assembling the tubular tower structure, the bolt connection comprising:
a threaded bar extending through a hole of a first flange of the two flanges and a hole of a second flange of the two flanges, the first flange abutting the second flange, the first flange being part of a first tower section of the plurality of tower sections and the second flange being part of a second section of the plurality of tower sections;
an anti-fatigue sleeve; and
a nut;
wherein the anti-fatigue sleeve is disposed on the threaded bar on a side of the first flange between the nut and the first flange,
wherein the nut is configured to be screwed onto the threaded bar and is configured to press the anti-fatigue sleeve against the first flange to fasten the first flange and the second flange together.

2. The tubular tower structure of claim 1 , wherein an end piece of the threaded bar abuts the second flange.

3. The tubular tower structure of claim 2 , wherein a washer is disposed between at least one of the anti-fatigue sleeve and the first flange, the end piece, and the second flange and the anti-fatigue sleeve and the nut.

4. The tubular tower structure connection of claim 1 , wherein the nut is a first nut and the anti-fatigue sleeve is a first anti-fatigue sleeve, the bolt connection further comprising a second nut and a second anti-fatigue sleeve, wherein the second anti-fatigue sleeve is configured to be placed onto the threaded bar on the side of the second flange between the second nut and the second flange, the second nut is configured to be screwed onto the threaded bar and is configured to press the second anti-fatigue sleeve against the second flange.

5. The tubular tower structure of claim 4 , wherein a washer is disposed between at least one of the first anti-fatigue sleeve and the first flange, the second anti-fatigue sleeve and the second flange, the first anti-fatigue sleeve and the first nut and the second anti-fatigue sleeve and the second nut.

6. The tubular tower structure of claim 1 , wherein a length of the anti-fatigue sleeve is at least twice the thickness of the first flange and the second flange.

7. The tubular tower structure of claim 1 , wherein the anti-fatigue sleeve has a length of at least 300 mm.

8. The tubular tower structure of claim 1 , wherein the threaded bar has a length of at least 500 mm.

9. The tubular tower structure of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second flanges has a thickness of at least 50 mm.

10. The tubular tower structure of claim 1 , wherein the first flange and the second flange are horizontal flanges of the first and second tower sections.

11. The tubular tower structure of claim 1 , wherein the first flange and the second flange are circumferential flanges of the first and second tower sections.

12. The tubular tower structure of claim 1 , wherein connecting areas of the first flange and the second flange exceed given waviness requirements for a durable prestressed connection of the first flange and the second flange.

13. The tubular tower structure of claim 1 , wherein the first flange and the second flange are exposed to high dynamic stress.

14. The tubular tower structure of claim 1 , wherein a section of the steel tube tower has a diameter of above 4.3 m.

15. The tubular tower structure of claim 1 , wherein the tubular tower structure is a tower of a wind power plant.

16. A method of connecting two flanges of a tubular tower structure, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of tower sections of the tubular tower structure, the plurality of tower sections comprising, at least, a first tower section and a second tower section;
placing a threaded bar through a hole of a first flange of the first tower section of the plurality of tower sections and a hole of a second flange of the second tower section of the plurality of tower sections, the first flange abutting the second flange;
placing an anti-fatigue sleeve onto the threaded bar on a side of the first flange between a nut, disposed on the threaded bar, and the first flange; and
screwing the nut onto the threaded bar such that the nut presses the anti-fatigue sleeve against the first flange to fasten the first flange and the second flange together so as to join the first and second tower sections together.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Voss Stefan Bernhard
• Paura Ingo

Classifications

• F16B35/00

  Screw-bolts; Stay-bolts; Screw-threaded studs; Screws; Set screws ({F16B33/008 takes precedence; joining sheets or plates using screws with two separate threads F16B5/0275; using screws with adjustment sleeves F16B5/0283}; thread cutting screws F16B25/00) · CPC title

• F16B43/00

  Washers or equivalent devices; Other devices for supporting bolt-heads or nuts (circlips F16B21/18; {for indicating tensile load F16B31/02; forming a whole with the bolt or nut F16B33/00; locking bolts or nuts by means of a fixed plate or ring, or washer-like resilient plates F16B39/10, F16B39/24}) · CPC title

• F16B37/00

  Nuts or like thread-engaging members {(specially shaped for rotations by a tool F16B23/00)} · CPC title

• F16B5/025

  specially designed to compensate for misalignement or to eliminate unwanted play · CPC title

• E04H12/10

  Truss-like structures · CPC title