The present invention is directed generally at three-dimensional printing and more particularly to using three-dimensional (3D) printing to produce concrete and concrete-like (i.e. hempcrete) structures. Recently, 3D printing has advanced to the point where it is now possible to 3D print more complex concrete structures, such as homes. Unfortunately, prior art methods of 3D printing concrete structures have numerous drawbacks. For example, many existing systems suffer from excessive mechanical complexity and/or are susceptible to jamming (e.g. caused by dirt getting into delicate mechanisms). Other problems include difficulty with field maintainability, a lack of horizontal and vertical construction scalability, excessive weight and/or difficulty in printing structures on uneven or difficult ground. Also, existing devices are difficult and time consuming to assemble and disassemble in the field, thereby increasing project costs. The present innovation successfully addresses all of these limitations.

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.

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 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.

Methods of manufacturing a cementitious structure, such as a structure for supporting a wind turbine, include additively printing, via an additive printing device, one or more contours that include a cementitious material so as to form a cementitious structure in a layer by layer manner such that a first portion of the plurality of contours comprises a first plurality of contour coupling features that engage with a second plurality of contour coupling features of a second portion of the plurality of contours.

An additive printing device and a method for using the same to manufacture a tower structure of a wind turbine is provided. The additive printing device includes a vertical support structure, a support ring suspended from the vertical support structure, and a printer head movably coupled to the support ring for selectively depositing cementitious material. A drive mechanism, such as a rack and pinion, moves the printer head around the support ring while selectively depositing cementitious material. The vertical support structure may be raised and/or the relative position between the vertical support structure and the printer head may be adjusted to raise the printer head to print subsequent layers. This process may be repeated to print the tower structure layer-by-layer from the ground up.

A method for manufacturing a tower structure of a wind turbine includes printing, via an additive printing device, the tower structure of the wind turbine of a cementitious material. During printing, the method includes embedding one or more reinforcement sensing elements at least partially within the cementitious material at one or more locations. Thus, the reinforcement sensing element(s) are configured for sensing structural health of the tower structure, sensing temperature of the cementitious material, heating to control cure time of the cementitious material, and/or reinforcing the cementitious material. In addition, the method includes curing the cementitious material so as to form the tower structure.

The invention relates to a method and a construction and/or a materials-handling machine for guiding and moving a working head, in particular a 3D print head, wherein at least three revolving tower cranes are attached to each other with their booms, wherein according to one aspect of the invention a guide beam carrying the working head is attached to at least two trolleys of two revolving tower cranes, and the working head is adjusted and moved in its working position by moving the trolleys along two booms of two revolving tower cranes.

A control system for an implement associated with a machine, the machine operating on a work surface lying in a surface plane, is disclosed. The system includes a base plate attached to the machine, the base plate establishing a plate plane and the orientation of the plate plane alters with changes in orientation of the base plate. The system may further include an orientation leveling system which includes an orientation sensor, one or more plate actuators for altering orientation of the base plate, and an electronic controller. The electronic controller is configured to determine if the plate plane is substantially parallel with the surface plane and actuate the one or more actuators to alter orientation of the base plate to position the base plate such that the plate plane is substantially parallel with the surface plane, if the plate plane is not substantially parallel with the surface plane.

An extruder nozzle includes a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end includes a proximal cross-section. The distal end includes a distal cross-section. The proximal cross-section is different from the distal cross-section. 3D printable material is configured to flow through the extruder nozzle from the proximal end to the distal end, such that the extruder nozzle deposits a layer of 3D printable material on top of a prior layer of 3D printable material.