REINFORCED WIND TOWER

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. Reinforced wind turbine tower (1) formed by a hollow body (2), wherein it comprises in its interior at least one reinforcement structure (3) formed by a series of longitudinal reinforcement elements (4), where each of said longitudinal reinforcement elements (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 longitudinal reinforcement element (4) has at least one of its ends attached by attachment means to the end of the other consecutive longitudinal reinforcement element (4) with the same.

2. Reinforced wind turbine tower (1) according to claim 1, wherein the attachment means of consecutive ends of the longitudinal reinforcement elements (4) are formed by welding or by screwing thereof.

3. Reinforced wind turbine tower (1) according to claim 1, wherein the attachment means of each end of the longitudinal reinforcement elements (4) are formed by welding or screwing each end to an attachment element (5 and 7), where said attachment element (5 and 7) is attached to the hollow body inner surface (2) by attachment means.

4. Reinforced wind turbine tower (1) according to claim 3, wherein the attachment means of the attachment element (5 and 7) to the hollow body inner surface (2) are formed by welding.

5. Reinforced wind turbine tower (1) according to claim 1, wherein the attachment means of each end of the longitudinal reinforcement elements (4) are formed by direct welding thereof on the hollow body inner surface (2).

6. Reinforced wind turbine tower (1) according to claim 3, wherein the attachment element of the ends of the longitudinal reinforcement elements (4) is formed by a vertical reinforcement structure (5) different for each of the ends of a same longitudinal reinforcement element (4).

7. Reinforced wind turbine tower (1) according to claim 6, wherein the vertical reinforcement structure (5) each one formed by a series of reinforcements with a longitudinal shape (6) and attached to each other consecutively at their ends.

8. Reinforced wind turbine tower (1) according to claim 6, wherein the vertical reinforcement structures (5) have a varying thickness, decreasing linearly from a maximum thickness of the reinforcement with a longitudinal shape (6)) located at the lowest level to a minimum thickness value of the reinforcement with a longitudinal shape (6) at the highest level.

9. Reinforced wind turbine tower (1) according to claim 3, wherein the attachment element of the ends of the longitudinal reinforcement element (4) is formed by a lug (7).

10. Reinforced wind turbine tower (1) according to claim 9, wherein the longitudinal reinforcement element (4) and the reinforcements with a longitudinal shape (6) of vertical reinforcement structures (5) are formed by metal profiles.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] To aid a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention according to a preferred example of a practical embodiment thereof, a set of drawings are provided as part of this description where, with sense illustrative and non-limiting, the following is shown:

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a perspective schematic view of the interior of the reinforced wind turbine tower where the attachment element are vertical reinforcement structures.

[0035] FIG. 2 shows a perspective schematic view of the interior of the reinforced wind turbine tower where the attachment element of the ends of the longitudinal elements is formed by a lug

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0036] In view of the accompanying figures, it can be seen that in a first preferred embodiment of the invention, the reinforced wind turbine 1 formed by a hollow body 2 presented herein comprises internally two reinforcement structures 3, each formed by a series of longitudinal reinforcements 4.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1, each of said longitudinal reinforcement elements 4 has its two opposite ends attached by attachment means to the hollow body inner surface 2 of the tower 1 at points located on different vertical lines. In addition, each longitudinal reinforcement element 4 has at least one of its ends attached by attachment means to the end of other longitudinal element consecutive to it.

[0038] In this first preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIG. 1, the wind turbine 1 comprises internally four vertical reinforcement structures 5 attached to the hollow body inner surface 2. Each vertical reinforcement structure 5 is formed by a series of reinforcements 6 that have a longitudinal shape. These reinforcements 6 with longitudinal shape are attached to each other consecutively at their ends.

[0039] In this first preferred embodiment, the vertical reinforcements structures 5 are arranged on diametrically opposite generating lines two to two, the diameters whose ends pass by said generating lines being perpendicular to each other.

[0040] Additionally, said vertical reinforcement structures 5 have a varying thickness, decreasing linearly from a maximum thickness of the reinforcement that have a longitudinal shape 6 located at the lowest level to a minimum thickness value of the reinforcement that have a longitudinal shape 6 at the highest level.

[0041] In this first preferred embodiment of the invention, the attachment means of each end of the longitudinal reinforcement elements 4 are formed by welding or screwing each end to an attachment element 5 or 7, where said attachment element 5 or 7 is attached to the hollow body inner surface 2 by attachment means.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 1, in this first preferred embodiment of the invention said attachment element of the ends of the longitudinal elements 4 is formed by one of the four vertical reinforcement structures 5, different for each of the ends of a same longitudinal reinforcement element 4.

[0043] In addition, the attachment means of said vertical reinforcement structures 5 are formed by welding the same to the hollow body inner surface 2.

[0044] In this preferred embodiment of the invention, the attachment means of consecutive ends of the longitudinal elements 4 are formed by welding the same.

[0045] Both the longitudinal reinforcement elements 4 and the reinforcements 6 that have longitudinal shape are formed by metal profiles in this first preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0046] In this specification a second preferred embodiment of the invention is proposed which, as in the first embodiment, presents two reinforcement structures 3 formed by longitudinal reinforcement elements 4 the ends of which are attached to the hollow body inner surface 2, where at least one of the ends of each longitudinal reinforcement element 4 is attached to the end of another longitudinal reinforcement element 4 consecutive to the same.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 2, this second preferred embodiment, unlike the first one, there are no vertical reinforcement structures 5 inside the wind turbine tower 1 and the attachment means of each end of the longitudinal reinforcement element 4 is formed by screwing each end to an attachment element in this case formed by lugs 7 attached to the hollow body inner surface 2 attachment means.

[0048] In this second preferred embodiment of the invention, said attachment means of the lugs 7 to the hollow body inner surface 2 are formed by welding.

[0049] As in the first embodiment proposed, the elements 4 and 6 are formed by metal profiles and the joining means of the consecutive ends of the longitudinal reinforcement elements are formed by welding thereof.

[0050] The described embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, as such, the specific details, terms and phrases used in this specification must not be understood as limiting the invention but must be understood as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for understanding the description, as well as supplying sufficient information to a person skilled in the art allowing to apply the present invention.

[0051] With the reinforced wind turbine tower presented herein provides significant improvements are achieved over the prior art.

[0052] Thus a wind turbine tower with a high stiffness is obtained and improves fatigue resistance, allowing a thinner plates or rings forming the hollow body or a smaller diameter such that road transport constraints can be complied with.

[0053] It is thereby possible to build very high wind turbine towers with smaller diameter and thinner plates, which results in a significant reduction in the cost thereof, as well as the aforementioned advantage of compliance with legal limits for road transport.

[0054] It is a highly effective wind turbine tower which, in a simple manner, allows increasing the stiffness, reducing costs and allowing greater heights thereof, solving the drawbacks that these involve for this towers type today.