Section Design of DSCT Tower Supporting Wind and Tidal Power Turbines

Abstract

Wind power is a major renewable energy source with economic feasibility. However, wind power energy has a disadvantage of having a wide range of fluctuation in its output depending on the variability of the wind. Recently, to increase effectiveness and efficiency of renewable energies, researches to develop systems combined with wind and other energies are being carried out. A DSCT (Double-Skinned Composite Tubular) tower, which is composed of two steel tubes and concrete filled between the inner and outer tubes, has hollowed section which decreases its self-weight. Due to inner and outer tubes, concrete is triaxially confined to increase strength. In this study, a DSCT tower supporting a 3.6MW wind turbine and two 225kW tidal turbines was suggested. Also, the section design of the DSCT tower was performed and presented. Basic section design was conducted by AutoDSCT[1] which is automatically generating program bottom sections of the tower satisfying design loads. The performances of the designed sections were analyzed by CoWiTA[2] which evaluates bending performance of a column considering material nonlinearity, confining effect of concrete, and large displacement effect.In this study, the bottom diameter of the tower was set as 4.5 m based on the reference steel tower suggested by Ljjj and Gravensen in 2008[3]. The top diameter and the height of the tower with 3.6m and 106m were considered for analysis. Moreover,tiveness and efficiency of renewable energies, researches to develop systems combined with wind and other energies are being carried out. A DSCT (Double-Skinned Composite Tubular) tower, which is composed of two steel tubes and concrete filled between the inner and outer tubes, has hollowed section which decreases its self-weight. Due to inner and outer tubes, concrete is triaxially confined to increase strength. In this study, a DSCT tower supporting a 3.6MW wind turbine and two 225kW tidal turbines was suggested. Also, the section design of the DSCT tower was performed and presented. Basic section design was conducted by AutoDSCT[1] which is automatically generating program bottom sections of the tower satisfying design loads. The performances of the designed sections were analyzed by CoWiTA[2] which evaluates bending performance of a column considering material nonlinearity, confining effect of concrete, and large displacement effect.In this study, the bottom diameter of the tower was set as 4.5 m based on the reference steel tower suggested by Ljjj and Gravensen in 2008[3]. The top diameter and the height of the tower with 3.6m and 106m were considered for analysis. Moreover,