Method for manufacturing wind turbine tower structure for preventing vortex shedding
AssigneeGE Infrastructure Technology LLC
InventorGregory Edward Cooper
Life of this patent
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Abstract
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. The method also includes printing, via the additive printing device, one or more additional airflow modifying features on an outer surface the tower structure of the wind turbine so as to reduce and/or prevent vortex shedding, excitation, and/or drag of the tower structure. Further, the method includes curing the cementitious material so as to form the tower structure.
Claims16
A method for manufacturing a tower structure of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
- printing, via an additive printing device, the tower structure of the wind turbine of a cementitious material;
- printing, via the additive printing device, at least one of a plurality of scallops or a plurality of dimples on an outer surface of the tower structure of the wind turbine so as to reduce and/or prevent vortex shedding, excitation, and/or drag of the tower structure of the wind turbine during installation, idling, service, or operation of the wind turbine;
- and,
- curing the cementitious material so as to form the tower structure of the wind turbine.
A method for manufacturing a tower structure of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
- printing, via an additive printing device, the tower structure of the wind turbine of a cementitious material on a foundation of the tower structure;
- curing the cementitious material so as to form the tower structure;
- providing one or more reinforcement cables on an outer surface of the tower structure;
- and,
- printing, via the additive printing device, at least one of a plurality of scallops or a plurality of dimples on an outer surface of the tower structure of the wind turbine so as to reduce and/or prevent vortex shedding, excitation, and/or drag of the tower structure during installation, idling, service, or operation of the wind turbine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.