Method for manufacturing a telescoping wind turbine tower structure

A method for manufacturing a tower structure of a wind turbine, the method comprising:

• printing, via an additive printing device, a plurality of concentric sections of the tower structure of the wind turbine;
• raising an inner section of the plurality of concentric sections to position a bottom portion of the inner section proximate a top portion of an adjacent outer section of the plurality of concentric sections, wherein the inner section of the plurality of concentric sections defines a locking flange extending outward along a radial direction from a radially outer surface and the adjacent outer section of the plurality of concentric sections defines an elongated recess extending along a vertical direction on a radially inner surface, the locking flange being positioned within the elongated recess after printing, wherein raising the inner section of the plurality of concentric sections further comprises sliding the locking flange within the elongated recess;
• rotating the inner section of the plurality of concentric sections after raising the inner section such that the locking flange is no longer aligned with the elongated recess;
• and
• joining the inner section of the plurality of concentric sections to the adjacent outer section of the plurality of concentric sections.