The present invention relates to a manufacturing process in situ of concrete towers for wind turbines which enables executing a design of concrete tower manufactured in situ by means of climbing formwork, which reduces the execution time of the concrete tower, where the invention also relates to the associated concrete tower for wind turbine.

This application relates to hinged tower segments and transport methods, and particularly to methods and apparatus for transporting and storing hinged segments of steel wind turbine towers. The wind turbine tower comprises a plurality of cylindrical vertical tower sections, which in the finished tower are mounted on top of one another. The vertical section of the tower has a longitudinal axis and comprises a plurality of wind turbine tower segments, the tower segments have vertical and horizontal edges and combine to form a complete vertical tower section by joining along their edges. Adjacent vertical tower sections are joined to each other along the horizontal edges of the wind turbine tower segments. Hinges are secured between tower segments and the tower segments rotated about the hinged axis to make them suitable for transport or storage. A method of assembling a tower section is discussed.

A modular composite utility pole has a plurality of sections, each with a tapered hollow tube having a plurality of plies, wherein a first end has a larger diameter than a second end, wherein each section is adapted to join at least one adjoining section at a joint wherein the first end of an upper section overlaps the second end of a lower section, the lower section having a ledge proximate to the second end of the lower section, with a fastener passing through the joint via apertures in the sections, and wherein, when the modular composite utility pole is erected, the joint is self-located by the joint features, and wherein substantially all vertical load is transferred between sections via the a surface of the second end of the upper section resting upon the ledge of the lower section. Also disclosed are individual sections and methods of making them.

A tower includes a plurality of stacked sections extending in a longitudinal direction from a base section to a top section. At least one of the stacked sections includes a first block and a second block joined together. The first block and the second block have interlocking portions such that a first portion of the first block is located above a first portion of the second block in the longitudinal direction.

The invention has for object a system for assembling a tower for a wind generator consisting of a plurality of blocks, comprising:

a structure for lifting each one of said blocks, and

a structure for supporting said lifting structure, the lifting structure being moveable in relation to the support structure between a block-gripping position and a block-holding position, the lifting structure comprising a body for gripping each block.

Reinforced wind turbine tower (1) formed by a hollow body (2), which comprises in its interior at least one reinforcement structure (3) formed by a series of longitudinal reinforcements (4), where each of said reinforcements (4) has its two opposite ends attached by attachment means to the hollow body inner surface (2) of the tower at points placed on different vertical lines, and where each reinforcement (4) has at least one of its ends attached by attachment means to the end of the other consecutive reinforcement (4) with the same.

A method for moving a wind turbine component (42) relative to a wind turbine (16) having a tower (18) with a door (26) for closing off an opening (90) through the tower (18) includes removably positioning a transport system (40) relative to the wind turbine (16), the transport system (40) having a track (44) and a powered drive device (118), such that a first end (78) of the track (44) is positioned outside the tower (18), a second end (80) of the track (44) is positioned inside the tower (18), and the track (44) extends through the opening (90) in the tower (18). The transport system (40) is configured to facilitate movement of the wind turbine component (42) between an inside of the tower (18) and an outside of the tower (18) through the opening (90). The method further comprises moving the wind turbine component (42) vertically within the tower (18) away from or toward the track (44) using the powered drive device (118) of the transport system (40). A transport system (40) for implementing such a method is also disclosed.

A method for manufacturing a tower structure of a wind turbine includes additively printing at least a portion of a frame shape of the tower structure of the wind turbine of a first material on a foundation of the tower structure. Further, the first material has a first cure rate. The method also includes allowing the portion of the frame shape to at least partially solidify. The method includes providing a second material around and/or within the portion of the frame shape such that the portion of the frame shape provides support for the second material. The second material includes a cementitious material having a second cure rate that is slower than the first cure rate, with the different cure rates reducing the net printing time for the overall structure. Moreover, the method includes allowing the second material to at least partially solidify so as to form the tower structure.

A tower structure of a wind turbine includes a plurality of tower sections stacked atop each other in an end-to-end configuration along a vertical axis to form the tower structure of the wind turbine at a wind turbine site. Each of the tower sections is formed of at least one first tubular portion and at least one second tubular portion. Further, the first and second tubular portions of each of the plurality of tower sections are concentric with each other. Moreover, the first tubular portion is formed at least in part, of a cementitious material and the second tubular portion is formed of a perforated material having a plurality of holes.

Tower erection systems and methods utilizing a load-sharing support member (LS support member) are disclosed. The LS support member can have a first end coupled to a crane tower and a second end configured to repeatably couple to the upper-most tower section of a partially assembled tower stack during assembly. During lifting, a portion of the vertical load is transferred to the partially assembled tower stack.