Effect of rotor configuration on guyed tower and foundation designs and estimated costs for intermediate-size horizontal-axis wind turbines

Technical Report · Mon Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5346644· OSTI ID:5346644

Frederick, G. R.; Winemiller, J. R.; Savino, J. M.

Three designs of a guyed cylindrical tower and its foundation for an intermediate size horizontal axis wind turbine generator are discussed. The primary difference in the three designs is the configuration of the rotor. Two configurations are two-blade rotors with teetering hubs - one with full span pitchable blades, the other with fixed pitch blades. The third configuration is a three-bladed rotor with a rigid hub and fixed pitch blades. In all configurations the diameter of the rotor is 38 meters and the axis of rotation is 30.4 meters above grade, and the power output is 200 kW and 400 kW. For each configuration the design is based upon for the most severe loading condition - either operating wind or hurricane conditions. The diameter of the tower is selected to be 1.5 meters (since it was determined that this would provide sufficient space for access ladders within the tower) with guy rods attached at 10.7 meters above grade. Completing a design requires selecting the required thicknesses of the various cylindrical segments, the number and diameter of the guy rods, the number and size of soil anchors, and the size of the central foundation. The lower natural frequencies of vibration are determined for each design to ensure that operation near resonance does not occur. Finally, a cost estimate is prepared for each design. A preliminary design and cost estimate of a cantilever tower (cylindrical and not guyed) and its foundation is also presented for each of the three configurations. The estimated costs of the guyed towers and the cantilever towers are compared with the installed costs of truss type towers and foundations of the 200 kW Mod-0A wind turbines at Block Island and Culebra.

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cleveland, OH (USA). Lewis Research Center; Toledo Univ., OH (USA). Dept. of Civil Engineering
• DOE Contract Number: AI01-76ET20320
• OSTI ID: 5346644
• Report Number(s): DOE/NASA/20320-39; NASA-TM-82804; ON: DE82012432
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

17 WIND ENERGY
170602* -- Wind Energy Engineering-- Turbine Design & Operation
COST
DESIGN
FOUNDATIONS
MACHINERY
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
POWER PLANTS
ROTORS
SIZE
SUPPORTS
TURBINE BLADES
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
WIND POWER PLANTS
WIND TURBINES