Patent classifications
E04H12/341
Multi-head additive printing device for manufacturing wind turbine tower structure
A system for manufacturing a tower structure of a wind turbine includes an additive printing device having a central frame structure with a platform and an arm member. The arm member is generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the tower structure. The additive printing device also includes a plurality of robotic arms secured to the arm member of the central frame structure. Each of the robotic arms includes a printer head for additively printing one or more materials. The additive printing device further includes at least one nozzle configured for dispensing a cementitious material. Moreover, the system includes one or more molds additively printed via the additive printing device of a polymer material. As such, the mold(s) define inner and outer wall limits of the tower structure. After the mold(s) are printed and solidified, at least one of the printer heads or the nozzle of the additive printing device is configured to dispense the cementitious material between the inner and outer wall limits of the tower structure.
Method and apparatus for constructing a concrete structure in stages
Various implementations comprise a method and apparatus for constructing a concrete structure in stages. In various implementations, an apparatus includes a base, a support column located on the base, and a movable scaffolding rotatably coupled to a top of the support column. According to various other implementations, a method for assembling a tower stage includes: (1) providing a base platform; (2) coupling a pole to the base platform; (3) disposing two or more staves around the pole; (4) coupling the staves together to form the tower stage; and (5) removing the tower stage from the platform.
ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED TOWER STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF FABRICATION
A multi-material tower section for a tower mast. The tower mast comprised of at least one multi-material tower section and a method for manufacturing the section. The section comprises at least one additively manufactured wall structure comprised of at least one first material and a plurality of additively manufactured internal reinforcement structures comprised of at least one additional material and disposed therewith the at least one additively manufactured wall structure.
FOUNDATION WITH PEDESTAL AND RIBS FOR TOWERS
A wind turbine foundation comprising a concrete support slab having a horizontal rebar grid therein, a concrete pedestal integral with the support slab and having vertical post tensioning elements therein and a plurality of concrete ribs on top of and integral with the support slab and integral with the pedestal, the ribs having rebar therein and extend outwardly from the pedestal, the pedestal, slab and ribs are connected to each other to form a monolithic foundation. The foundation design reduces the weight and volume of materials used, reduces cost, and improves heat dissipation conditions during construction by having a small ratio of concrete mass to surface area thus eliminating the risk of thermal cracking due to heat of hydration.
Method for manufacturing a wind turbine tower structure based on wind direction
A method for manufacturing a tower structure of a wind turbine at a wind turbine site. The method includes determining an optimized shape of the tower structure based on one or more site parameters. Further, the optimized shape of the tower structure is non-symmetrical. In a further step, the method include printing, via an additive printing device, the optimized shape of the tower structure of the wind turbine at the wind turbine site, at least in part, of a cementitious material. In addition, the method includes allowing the cementitious material to cure so as to form the tower structure of the wind turbine.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A TOWER STRUCTURE
A method for manufacturing a tower structure, the method including printing and depositing, with at least one variable-width deposition nozzle of a printhead assembly, one or more layers of at least one wall element of the tower structure, the at least one wall element having an outer circumferential surface and an inner circumferential surface. The method also including forming, with the at least one variable-width deposition nozzle, at least one void into the at least one wall element. The method also including placing at least one reinforcement member within the at least one void so as to position the at least one reinforcement member closer to a neutral axis of the at least one wall element than at least one of the outer circumferential surface or the inner circumferential surface.
Wind turbine
A wind turbine having a foundation. The foundation has a first foundation portion having a top side and a concrete foundation pedestal having a top side. The top side of the concrete foundation pedestal is annular and projects beyond the top side of the first foundation portion. The wind turbine also has a steel tower having a plurality of tower segments, wherein a lower tower segment has a flange having a plurality of through bores. The flange is placed on a top side of the concrete foundation. The wind turbine further has a plurality of clamping elements. A lower end of the clamping elements is fixed by means of a fixing unit in or under the first foundation portion. An upper end of the clamping elements projects beyond an upper end of the concrete foundation pedestal and extends through the through holes. The upper ends of the clamping elements are braced by means of fixing units. An outward side of the concrete foundation pedestal is of a conical configuration.
Metal skeleton for the reinforcement of vertically elongated concrete structures
A metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a vertically elongated concrete structure has a first plurality of leg members each having top and bottom ends and inner and outer side edges together defining a leg body portion. A first plurality of rib plate engagement slots are formed in at least one of the inner side edge and the outer side edge. Each of the leg members is formed from a flat sheet of metal material. A first plurality of rib plates each define a generally planar central body portion and each have a first plurality of leg-engagement slots projecting into the central body portion. The leg-engagement slots are dimensioned and adapted to frictionally engage with respective ones of the rib plate engagement slots. The first plurality of leg-engagement slots slidingly interfit within respective ones of the first plurality of rib-engagement slots to securely connect the rib plates to the leg members to form the metal skeleton.
Concrete tower and related formwork and related method of construction
A collar assembly of or for a tower being formed by progressively higher concrete composition pours into reinforcement including formwork defined cavities, the assembly comprising or including; a higher subassembly adapted as a collar to selectively index to a zone of the tower being formed, a lower subassembly adapted as a collar to selectively index to a zone of the tower being formed, and a jacking arrangement whereby (I), when the lower subassembly is zone indexed and the higher subassembly is not, the higher subassembly can be raised relative to the lower subassembly and the zone to a fresh indexing height and (II), when the higher subassembly is zone indexed and the lower subassembly is not, the lower subassembly can be raised to a fresh indexing height.
HYBRID CONCRETE - COMPOSITE TOWER FOR A WIND TURBINE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING
A wind turbine tower includes a plurality of tower sections axially aligned and connected together. Each tower section includes an inner wall having a tapered cylindrical shape concentrically positioned within an outer wall having a tapered cylindrical shape. An annular space is defined between the inner wall and the outer wall, and a layer of concrete is disposed within the annular space. A plurality of post-tensioning cables extend longitudinally within the annular space or outside the outer wall, such that a first one of the tower sections is connected to a second one of the tower sections by a plurality of the post-tensioning cables.