Wind turbine tower

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9651029-B2
Application number	US-201514627644-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2015
Priority date	Aug 23, 2012
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

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/cm 3 ).

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/cm 3 ).

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

Assignees

• Blade Dynamics Ltd

Inventors

• Hayden Paul
• Gutierrez Joaquin

Classifications

• F05B2260/301

  Retaining bolts or nuts · CPC title

• E04H12/02

  Structures made of specified materials · CPC title

• F05B2250/611

  undulated · CPC title

• F05B2280/2006

  Carbon, e.g. graphite · CPC title

• E04H12/085

  Details of flanges for tubular masts · CPC title