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Installing and Assembling Wind Turbine Towers

Tower welding Tower weldingAttaching Towers to their Foundations
Towers are usually bolted onto the concrete foundations on which they are placed.
There are other methods, however, as in this case where part of the bottom section of the tower is cast into the concrete foundation, and where the lowest section of the tower is subsequently welded together directly on the site.
This method requires that the tower be fitted with special guides and clamps to hold the two tower sections in place while the welding is being done. It also requires a small mobile tower factory including a generator, welding gear, and x-ray inspection equipment for checking the welding seams.

All pictures
© 1999 Soren Krohn

 

Flanges
Flanges for wind turbine towersWind turbine tower sections are bolted together using hot rolled steel flanges, which are welded to the end of each tower section.
The flanges are made from killed steel. The image shows a pair of flanges.

 

 

Bolt Assembly
Bolt assembly on a flange
The next image shows how the tower sections are bolted together inside the tower.
The quality of the flanges and the bolt tensions are important parameters for the safety of wind turbine towers.

 
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© Copyright 2000 Soren Krohn
Updated 9 September 2000
http://www.windpower.org/tour/manu/towrassy.htm