# US 2021/0340958 A1 · Support structure for a wind turbine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0340958 A1 - Document ID: US20210340958A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/375,528 - Filed: 2021-07-14 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-18 - Assignees: RWE Renewables GmbH - Inventors: Daniel Bartminn; Artur Czarnecki; Benjamin Matlock - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210340958A1 ## CPC - F03D 13/10: Assembly of wind motors; Arrangements for erecting wind motors - B21C 37/08: Making tubes with welded or soldered seams {(with helically arranged seams B21C37/122)} - E04C 3/30: Columns; Pillars; Struts (not designed for end loading E04C3/02; posts, masts, as independent structures E04H12/00) - E04H 12/08: of metal - E04H 12/085: {Details of flanges for tubular masts} - E04H 12/34: Arrangements for erecting or lowering towers, masts, poles, chimney stacks, or the like - F03D 13/20: Arrangements for mounting or supporting wind motors; Masts or towers for wind motors - F03D 13/22: {Foundations specially adapted for wind motors} - F05B 2230/232: by welding - F05B 2240/912: on a tower - Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction - Y02E 10/728: Onshore wind turbines - F03D: WIND MOTORS - B21C: MANUFACTURE OF METAL SHEETS, WIRE, RODS, TUBES, PROFILES OR LIKE SEMI-MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS OTHERWISE THAN BY ROLLING; AUXILIARY OPERATIONS USED IN CONNECTION WITH METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL - E04C: STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS; BUILDING MATERIALS (for bridges E01D; specially designed for insulation or other protection E04B; elements used as building aids E04G; for mining E21; for tunnels E21D; structural elements with broader range of application than for building engineering F16, particularly F16S) - 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 - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract Supporting structure, in particular for a wind power plant, having at least two sub-segments which are at least partially connected to one another and are respectively formed from a metal plate having a longitudinal extent and a width extent. The longitudinal extent being greater than the width extent, and the sub-segments each having longitudinal edges extending in longitudinal extent and being connected to one another at mutually abutting joint surfaces along the longitudinal edges by a welded joint respectively. The sub-segments respectively have end edges extending in width, the sub-segments being bent along their end edges respectively. The respective welded joint has in sections a thickness which is smaller than a wall thickness of the metal plate and in sections a thickness which corresponds at least to the wall thickness of the metal plate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Supporting structure, in particular for a wind power plant, with at least two sub-segments at least partially connected to one another which are respectively formed from a metal plate having a longitudinal extension and a width extension, wherein the longitudinal extension is greater than the width extension, and wherein the sub-segments respectively have longitudinal edges extending in longitudinal extension and are joined to one another at mutually abutting joint surfaces along the longitudinal edges by means of a respective welded joint, the sub-segments each have end edges extending in width extension, wherein the sub-segments are bent along their end edges respectively, wherein the respective welded joint in sections has a thickness which is smaller than a wall thickness of the metal plate and in sections has a thickness which is at least equal to the wall thickness of the metal plate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Support structure according to claim 1, wherein the bending radius of the sub-segments is greater than, smaller than or equal to the radius of the enclosing circular line and/or the sub-segments are bent along their end edges in a non-round, in particular in an elliptical, faceted, hypocycloidal or epicycloidal manner. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Supporting structure according to claim 1, wherein interconnected sub-segments are offset in longitudinal extension relative to one another so that their end edges are axially spaced apart from one another. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Support structure according to claim 1, wherein interconnected sub-segments are offset in longitudinal extension relative to one another, so that their end edges are axially spaced apart from one another, and at least one sub-segment is spaced apart from the adjacent sub-segment in the longitudinal direction, so that a gap is formed as a result. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) Support structure according to claim 1, wherein two sub-segments are joined at mutually abutting joint surfaces along the end edges by means of a welded joint, wherein the welded joint has a thickness which, at least in sections, is less than a wall thickness of the metal plate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) Supporting structure according to claim 1, wherein two joining surfaces on a sub-segment opposite to one another are offset relative to one another in longitudinal extension along the longitudinal edges with welded joints whose thickness is at least the wall thickness of one of the adjacent metal plates. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) Supporting structure according to claim 1, wherein two joining surfaces opposite to one another on a sub-segment along the longitudinal edges with welded joints, the thickness of which has at least the wall thickness of one of the adjacent sub-segments, are at the same height relative to one another in longitudinal extension. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) Supporting structure according to claim 1, wherein in a section of the joining surfaces with a welded joint, of which the thickness is less than the wall thickness of the metal plate, a retaining clip is arranged between the joining surfaces. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) Supporting structure according to claim 8, wherein the retaining clip is enclosed on two sides by the joining surfaces and/or terminates flush with the outer and/or inner lateral surface of at least one of the sub-segments. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) Support structure according to claim 6, wherein the retaining clip has at least one concave recess, in particular a fillet, wherein the recess merges into the joining surfaces in particular essentially without any jump, and/or has an essentially biconcave shape. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) Support structure according to claim 1, wherein the joining surfaces are at least in sections have a gap to one another and/or abut one another and/or at least one metal sheet is arranged between the joining surfaces, the metal sheet in particular extending in a substantially projecting manner into the tube interior and/or having a substantially L-shaped cross section. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) Support structure according to claim 1, wherein the support structure is a foundation structure, in particular a foundation pile, in particular for a wind power plant at sea, in particular a monopile, triplet, tripod or jacket. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) Support structure according to claim 1, wherein the support structure is a tower structure, in particular for a wind power plant on land or at sea. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) Support structure according to claim 1, wherein the sub-segment is a partial cylinder segment. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) Support structure according to claim 1, wherein interconnected sub-segments forming a ring, of which the respective longitudinal edges are arranged parallel to each other, form a support structure segment, and that the support structure comprises at least two support structure segments, of which the longitudinal axes are substantially collinear with each other, and of which the end edges are interconnected. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) Support structure according to claim 1, wherein the abutting end edges of two support structure segments are connected at least partially circumferentially by a welded joint which has a thickness which is at least equal to the wall thickness of the metal plate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) Support structure according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal edges of sub-segments of two support structure segments abutting each other at the end faces are angularly offset relative to each other. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) Support structure according to claim 1, wherein the respective sub-segments each define a longitudinal axis in their longitudinal extension, and that the longitudinal axes of the respective sub-segments run parallel to a longitudinal axis of the support structure. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) Support structure according to claim 1, wherein the bending radii of the respective sub-segments correspond to a radius of curvature of the support structure. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) Support structure according to claim 1, wherein the position of the partial seam is flush with the outer or inner lateral surface of the sub-segment, central or at an asymmetrical distance from the lateral surfaces of the sub-segment.