Concrete segment of a section of a wind turbine tower and a mould configured to cast a concrete segment
AssigneeNordex Energy Spain, S.A.U.
InventorsAitor GARDUÑO, Iván GARCÍA MAESTRE
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Abstract
The object of the invention is a concrete segment of a section of a wind turbine tower which minimizes the undesirable local effects in the connection area between adjacent concrete sections, a section comprising at least two concrete segments, a set comprising two adjacent sections and a joint disposed between the two adjacent sections, a tower comprising at least one set and a mould configured to cast a concrete segment.
Claims16
Concrete segment (1) of a section (20) of a wind turbine tower (30), wherein the concrete segment (1) comprises:
- a central area (2) comprising an inner surface (3), an outer surface (4) and a central surface (5) located at the same distance from the inner surface (3) as from the outer surface (4), a lower part (31) and an upper part (32), wherein the central area (2) further comprises a first wall thickness (WT1) defined as the distance between the inner surface (3) and the outer surface (4);
- and
- at least one connection area (7) comprising a horizontal connection flange (8), wherein the at least one connection area (7) is configured to be connected, in use, to an adjacent connection area (7) of an adjacent concrete segment (1), the adjacent connection area (7) comprising an adjacent horizontal connection flange (8), by means of the horizontal connection flange (8);
- characterised in that the first wall thickness (WT1) in the lower part (31) of the central area (2) is smaller than the first wall thickness (WT1) in the upper part (32) of the central area (2).
The concrete segment (1) of any of preceding claims, wherein the first wall thickness (WT1) at the upper part (32) of the central area (2) is greater than 100% and lower than 200% of the first wall thickness (WT1) at the lower part (31) of the central area (2), preferably the first wall thickness (WT1) at the upper part (32) of the central area (2) is greater than 125% and lower than 175% of the first wall thickness (WT1) at the lower part (31) of the central area (2), and more preferably the first wall thickness (WT1) at the upper part (32) of the central area (2) is greater than 140% and lower than 160% of the first wall thickness (WT1) at the lower part (31) of the central area (2).
The concrete segment (1) of any of preceding claims, wherein the first wall thickness (WT1) increases in a uniform or in a non-uniform way from the lower part (31) to the upper part (32) of the central area (2) of the concrete segment (1).
The concrete segment (1) of any of preceding claims, wherein the inner surface (3) of the central area (2) comprises at least one first conicity (C1) and the outer surface (4) of the central area (2) comprises at least one first conicity (C1′), wherein the first conicity (C1) of the inner surface (3) is greater, at least partially, than the first conicity (C1′) of the outer surface (4).
The concrete segment (1) of any of preceding claims comprising an upper end (12) and a lower end (11), wherein the thickness increases, at least partially, from the lower end (11) to the upper end (12), and wherein the at least one connection area (7) is located in the upper end (12) and/or in the lower end (11) of the segment (1).
The concrete segment (1) of any of preceding claims wherein the first wall thickness (WT1) increases from the lower part (31) to the upper part (32) of the central area (2) of the concrete segment (1).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.