Assembly and method for connecting a steel wind turbine tower to a concrete foundation

A wind turbine assembly comprising;

• a tubular concrete foundation having tensioning tendons protruding from the upper end thereof;
• a cable head ring according to any preceding claim mounted on the upper end of the concrete foundation, the tensioning tendons passing through the passages in the annular plate and being secured by anchors arranged on an upper surface of the annular plate;
• a tubular wind turbine component received within the annular gap between the inner and outer tubular webs of the cable head ring, the wind turbine component comprising holes extending radially therethrough and corresponding with the holes in the inner and outer tubular webs;
• and
• fasteners extending radially through respective holes in the inner tubular web, the wind turbine component, and the outer tubular web to secure the wind turbine component to the cable head ring.

A method of connecting a tubular wind turbine component to a tubular concrete foundation, the method comprising:

• providing a tubular concrete foundation having tensioning tendons protruding from the upper end thereof;
• mounting a cable head ring on the upper end of the concrete foundation so that the tendons protruding from the upper end of the concrete foundation pass through passages that extend axially through the cable head ring;
• securing the tendons to the cable head ring using anchors, thereby securing the cable head ring to the concrete foundation;
• inserting a tubular wind turbine component into an annular gap formed between inner and outer tubular portions of the cable head ring;
• and
• securing the tubular wind turbine to the cable head ring by passing fasteners radially through the inner tubular portion, the wind turbine component, and the outer tubular portion.