# US 12,000,373 B2 · Method for manufacturing wind turbine tower structure for preventing vortex shedding > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,373 B2 - Document ID: US12000373B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/279,115 - Filed: 2018-09-28 - Published: 2021-12-23 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-28 - Assignees: GE Infrastructure Technology LLC - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Gregory Edward Cooper - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000373B2 ## CPC - F03D 13/10: Assembly of wind motors; Arrangements for erecting wind motors - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 70/00: Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - E04G 21/0463: {with boom control mechanisms, e.g. to automate concrete distribution} - E04H 12/12: of concrete or other stone-like material, with or without internal or external reinforcements, e.g. with metal coverings, with permanent form elements - F03D 13/20: Arrangements for mounting or supporting wind motors; Masts or towers for wind motors - F05B 2230/31: Layer deposition - F05B 2230/50: Building or constructing in particular ways - F05B 2240/122: Vortex generators, turbulators, or the like, for mixing - F05B 2250/25: helical - F05B 2260/96: Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise - F15D 1/0035: {in the form of riblets} - F15D 1/10: around bodies of solid material - Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction - Y02E 10/728: Onshore wind turbines - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - F03D: WIND MOTORS - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - E04G: SCAFFOLDING; FORMS; SHUTTERING; BUILDING IMPLEMENTS OR AIDS, OR THEIR USE; HANDLING BUILDING MATERIALS ON THE SITE; REPAIRING, BREAKING-UP OR OTHER WORK ON EXISTING BUILDINGS - E04H: BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL (foundations E02D) - F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G - F15D: FLUID DYNAMICS, i.e. METHODS OR MEANS FOR INFLUENCING THE FLOW OF GASES OR LIQUIDS - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising printing, via the additive printing device, the tower structure of the wind turbine of the cementitious material to have a non-cylindrical shape as to further reduce and/or prevent vortex shedding, excitation, and/or drag of the tower structure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising during printing, embedding one or more reinforcement elements at least partially within the cementitious material at one or more locations of the tower structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein embedding the one or more reinforcement elements at least partially within the cementitious material at one or more locations further comprises printing, via the additive printing device, the one or more reinforcement elements within the cementitious material at the one or more locations during printing of the tower structure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more reinforcement elements comprise at least one of elongated cables or wires, helical cables or wires, reinforcing bars, metallic or polymeric reinforcing fibers, reinforcing metallic rings couplings, and/or mesh. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing one or more molds of the tower structure on a foundation of the wind turbine; and, printing, via the additive printing device, the tower structure of the wind turbine within the one or more molds. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising printing, via the additive printing device, the one or more molds of the tower structure. ### Claim 8 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. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein providing the one or more reinforcement cables on the outer surface of the tower structure further comprises: wrapping the one or more reinforcement cables in the same direction around the tower structure with variable spacing between wraps; and, tensioning the one or more reinforcement cables on the outer surface of the tower structure to provide a varied compression level to the tower structure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein providing the one or more reinforcement cables on the outer surface of the tower structure further comprises: wrapping a plurality of reinforcement cables in opposing directions around the tower structure with constant spacing between wraps; and, tensioning the one or more reinforcement cables on the outer surface of the tower structure to provide a uniform compression level to the tower structure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein providing the one or more reinforcement cables on the outer surface of the tower structure further comprises: pre-tensioning the one or more reinforcement cables before providing the one or more reinforcement cables on the outer surface of the tower structure; and, releasing the one or more pre-tensioned reinforcement cables after curing the cementitious material. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein providing the one or more reinforcement cables on the outer surface of the tower structure further comprises printing, via the additive printing device, the one or more reinforcement cables on the outer surface of the tower structure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more reinforcement cables comprise at least one of solid reinforcing bars, hollow reinforcing bars, pultruded reinforcing bars, and/or mesh. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: providing one or more molds of the tower structure on the foundation of the tower structure; and, filling, via the additive printing device, the one or more molds with the cementitious material to form the tower structure. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein filling, via the additive printing device, the one or more molds with the cementitious material to form the tower structure further comprises printing, via the additive printing device, the tower structure of the wind turbine within the one or more molds. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein providing the one or more molds of the tower structure on the foundation of the tower structure further comprises printing, via the additive printing device, the one or more molds of the tower structure.