TOWER FOR A WIND TURBINE

Abstract

A tower for a wind turbine may include an upper tower portion and a lower tower portion. The upper tower portion may include a tubular tower, and the lower tower portion may include a lattice tower. To improve ergonomics and work safety and make it possible to obtain a structural design with optimized forces, the lower tower portion may include a central tube positioned centrally within the lattice tower. Further, the central tube may have a smaller diameter, at least in certain portions, than at least part of the tubular tower of the upper tower portion. The tower may also include a transition piece between the upper tower portion and the lower tower portion. The transition piece may join the tubular tower of the upper tower portion and the central tube of the lower tower portion.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A tower for a wind turbine comprising: an upper tower portion that includes a tubular tower; and a lower tower portion that includes a lattice tower and a central tube disposed centrally within the lattice tower, wherein at least one portion of the central tube has a smaller diameter than at least one portion of the upper tower portion.

17. The tower of claim 16 wherein at least two portions of the central tube have a smaller diameter than the at least one portion of the upper tower portion.

18. The tower of claim 16 comprising a transition piece disposed between the upper tower portion and the lower tower portion, wherein the transition piece joins the tubular tower of the upper tower portion and the central tube of the lower tower portion.

19. The tower of claim 18 wherein a lower end of the central tube of the lower tower portion is joined to a foundation of the tower, wherein an upper end of the central tube of the lower tower portion is joined to the transition piece.

20. The tower of claim 16 wherein the central tube of the lower tower portion absorbs forces from the upper tower portion.

21. The tower of claim 16 wherein the lattice tower of the lower tower portion comprises three corner posts.

22. The tower of claim 16 wherein the lattice tower of the lower tower portion includes exactly three corner posts.

23. The tower of claim 16 wherein a diameter of the at least one portion of the central tube is at least 1 meter.

24. The tower of claim 23 wherein a diameter of the at least one portion of the central tube is at most 4 meters.

25. The tower of claim 16 wherein the lower tower portion is free of load-bearing connections between the lattice tower and the central tube.

26. The tower of claim 16 wherein the lower tower portion comprises access facilities in or on the central tube.

27. The tower of claim 26 wherein the access facilities comprise at least one of an elevator, an assembly platform, or an electrical component.

28. The tower of claim 26 wherein the central tube comprises a hatch that is connected by a non-load-bearing connection to the lattice tower.

29. The tower of claim 16 wherein with respect to diameter a transition from the tubular tower of the upper tower portion to the central tube of the lower tower portion is continuous.

30. The tower of claim 16 wherein with respect to diameter a transition from the tubular tower of the upper tower portion to the central tube of the lower tower portion is step-like.

31. The tower of claim 16 wherein the lower tower portion has a height of at least 60 meters.

32. The tower of claim 16 wherein the lattice tower comprises lattice elements that are joined together at least partly by connection elements, wherein the connection elements comprise at least one of HR screws or locking ring bolts.

33. The tower of claim 16 wherein at least a portion of the central tube is welded by a spiral seam or a lengthwise seam.

34. The tower of claim 16 wherein the tubular tower has a transversely-oriented configuration.

35. A wind turbine with a tower that comprises: an upper tower portion that includes a tubular tower; and a lower tower portion that includes a lattice tower and a central tube disposed centrally within the lattice tower, wherein at least one portion of the central tube has a smaller diameter than at least one portion of the upper tower portion.

Description

[0038] In the following, the invention shall be explained further by means of sample embodiments in conjunction with the drawing. The drawing shows:

[0039] FIG. 1a a longitudinal section of a first sample embodiment of a tower according to the invention;

[0040] FIG. 1b a cross section of the sample embodiment of FIG. 1a;

[0041] FIG. 2a-c various sample embodiments of the transitional region;

[0042] FIG. 3a a perspective view of part of another sample embodiment of a tower according to the invention; and

[0043] FIG. 3b,c enlarged partial cutouts from FIG. 3a.

[0044] FIG. 1a shows a longitudinal section of a first sample embodiment of a tower according to the invention, while FIG. 1b shows a cross section of the sample embodiment of FIG. 1a.

[0045] The tower 1 is part of a wind turbine with pod and rotor (not shown). The tower 1 comprises an upper tower portion 2 and a lower tower portion 4. The upper tower portion 2 comprises a tubular tower 6. The lower tower portion 4 comprises a lattice tower 8 and a central tube 10, which is disposed centrally inside the lattice tower 8. The central tube 10 has a smaller diameter throughout than the tubular tower 6 of the upper tower portion 2. The tower 1 furthermore comprises a transition piece 12, by which the lattice tower 8, the central tube 10 and the tubular tower 6 are joined together. The central tube 10 is connected at its lower end to a foundation (not shown) of the tower 1 and at its upper end to the transition piece 12.

[0046] The central tube 10 of the lower tower portion 4 is designed by virtue of the wall thickness and the diameter to absorb forces from the upper tower portion 2. In this way, the central tube 10 relieves the load on the lattice tower 8. Furthermore, the central tube 8 in this case constitutes a housing for a ladder.

[0047] The lattice tower 8 of the lower tower portion 4 here comprises three corner posts, of which two corner posts 14 can be seen in FIG. 1a. The lattice tower furthermore comprises cross braces and/or diagonal braces 16, which are arranged between the corner posts 14. The lower tower portion 4 is thus designed free of load-bearing connections between the lattice tower 8 and the central tube 10.

[0048] FIG. 2a-c shows different variants of the transitional region from the central tube 10 to the transition piece 12. FIG. 2a shows, as already represented in FIG. 1a, an exclusively steplike transition, FIG. 2b shows a combined steplike and continuous transition, and FIG. 2c finally shows a continuous transition without step. For the (partly) continuous transition (FIG. 2b, c), the central tube 10 has an enlarging diameter at its upper end.

[0049] FIG. 3a shows a perspective view of part of another sample embodiment of a tower according to the invention. The construction corresponds basically to that already described in connection with FIG. 1. In contrast with this, the central tube 10 of the tower 1 partially shown in FIG. 3a comprises several hatches 18, the hatches being connected in part by non-load-bearing connection webs 20 to the lattice tower 8 and especially here to the corner posts 14 of the lattice tower 8. Furthermore, assembly platforms 22 are provided both on the central tube 10 and on the corner posts 14.

[0050] FIG. 3b shows an enlarged (semi-transparent) view of the hatch 18 in the lower area of the central tube 10. As can be seen, a ladder 24 and an electrical component, such as a service elevator 26, can be housed in the central tube 10.

[0051] FIG. 3c furthermore shows an enlarged view of the assembly platform 22 at the corner post 14. As can be seen, HR screw connections may be used in order to connect the individual braces 16 of the lattice tower 8 to the corner post 14. Thanks to the central tube 10 and the connection webs 20, these attachment areas can be reached with good ergonomics and work safety.