Filling a Need for a New Tower Design

Damping of large structures to enable more cost-effective systems has been demonstrated by LORD Corporation's engineering team as they work with the Wind Tower Systems design division of Wasatch Wind (WW). WW is a new development venture based in Heber City, Utah, allied to Brigham Young University and Windward Engineering (an aero-elastic turbine modeller). WW's Wind Tower Systems division has developed a unique space frame tower to support large wind turbines, made up of segments of steel tubes assembled into a 3D matrix. The lighter tower is made possible through the use of proprietary damped struts in specific tower locations. The struts are structural members of the tower, and comprise an outer tube material of lower stiffness than the inner, so that a relative motion is created between them during dynamic loading events from the turbine. For aesthetic reasons, and to prevent bird perching, the frame is covered overall with a non-structural skin, essentially achieving the look of a typical steel tube tower. This new design enables installed-tower cost reductions of 20 to 35%, depending on turbine size.