Tower for a Wind Turbine, Prefabricated Metal Wall Part for Use in a Tower for a Wind Turbine and Method for Constructing a Tower for a Wind Turbine

Abstract

A tower for a wind turbine. The tower has an exterior side and an interior side. The tower is at least partly composed of prefabricated metal wall parts. Each wall part includes an essentially quadrangular portion having an outwardly facing surface in the direction of the exterior of the tower and an inwardly facing surface in the direction of the interior of the tower. The portion having a top edge, a bottom edge, a first side edge and a second side edge. The first side edge is provided with a first flange along at least part of the length of the first side edge and the second side edge is provided with a second flange along at least part of the length of the second side edge. A method for constructing a tower for a wind turbine.

1 . Tower for a wind turbine having an exterior side and an interior sides, 
 the tower at least partly comprising prefabricated metal wall parts,    wherein each wall part comprises an essentially quadrangular portion having an outwardly facing surface in the direction of the exterior of the tower and an inwardly facing surface in the direction of the interior of the tower,    said portion having a top edge, a bottom edge, a first side edge and a second side edge,    wherein the first side edge is provided with a first flange along at least part of the length of the first side edges, and    wherein the second side edge is provided with a second flange along at least part of the length of the second side edge.    
     
     
         2 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein the first flanges and the second flanges of the prefabricated metal wall parts extend towards the interior side of the tower.  
     
     
         3 . Tower for the wind turbine according to claim wherein each of the prefabricated metal wall parts have a height and a width, and wherein at least two of the prefabricated metal wall parts have a height which is at least about 2.5 times larger than the width of the bottom edge.  
     
     
         4 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein the first flange of a said prefabricated metal wall part is attached to the second flange of an adjacent said prefabricated metal wall part by fastening means.  
     
     
         5 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the essentially quadrangular portion of the prefabricated metal wall parts is essentially rectangular wherein the length of the first side edge is approximately equal to the length of the second side edge and wherein the bottom edge is approximately equal to the length of the top edge, or    wherein the essentially quadrangular portion of the prefabricated metal wall parts is essentially trapezial wherein the length of the first side edge is approximately equal to the length of the second side edge and wherein the bottom edge is longer than the top edge.    
     
     
         6 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1  wherein the tower has an essentially annular, horizontal cross-section.  
     
     
         7 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein the essentially quadrangular portion of the respective prefabricated metal wall parts are curved.  
     
     
         8 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein the essentially quadrangular portion of the respective prefabricated metal wall part is essentially flat.  
     
     
         9 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein the first flange is provided with an additional first flange and/or wherein the second flange is provided with an additional second flange.  
     
     
         10 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein the first flanges and/or the second flanges are at least partly folded back towards the inwardly facing surface of the essentially quadrangular portion of the prefabricated metal wall part for at least partly doubling the thickness of the first flanges and/or second flanges.  
     
     
         11 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein the prefabricated metal wall parts are steel parts.  
     
     
         12 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein the first flange of at least one said prefabricated metal wall part is vertically staggeredly attached to the second flange of an adjacent said prefabricated metal wall part by fastening means.  
     
     
         13 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein the circumference of the tower consists of n adjacently positioned prefabricated metal wall parts, wherein the angle between the first flange and the second flange is 360/n.  
     
     
         14 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein the tower is provided with stiffening means.  
     
     
         15 . Prefabricated metal wall parts for use in a tower for a wind turbine at least partly composed of a plurality of said prefabricated metal wall parts, comprising: 
 an essentially quadrangular portion having an outwardly facing surface and an inwardly facing surface,    said portion having a top edge, a bottom edge, a first side edge and a second side edge,    wherein the first side edge is provided with a first flange along at least part of the length of the first side edge, and    wherein the second side edge is provided with a second flange along at least part of the length of the second side edge.    
     
     
         16 . Method for constructing a tower for a wind turbine according to  claim 1  at least partly composed of said prefabricated metal wall parts, comprising attaching one said prefabricated metal wall part to an adjacent said prefabricated wall part.  
     
     
         17 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the prefabricated metal wall parts have a height and a width, and wherein at least two of the prefabricated metal wall parts have a height which is more than five times larger than the width of the bottom edge.  
     
     
         18 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the prefabricated metal wall parts have a height and a width, and wherein at least two of the prefabricated metal wall parts have a height which is more than ten times larger than the width of the bottom edge.  
     
     
         19 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein the first flange of a said prefabricated metal wall part is attached to the second flange of an said adjacent prefabricated metal wall part by fastening means comprising nuts and bolts.  
     
     
         20 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein the tower has an essentially circular horizontal cross-section.  
     
     
         21 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein the essentially quadrangular portion of the respective prefabricated metal wall part is essentially flat, and wherein the essentially quadrangular portion of the respective prefabricated metal wall part also comprises at least one kink essentially in the direction between the bottom edge and the top edge of the prefabricated metal wall part.  
     
     
         22 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein the prefabricated metal wall parts are high strength steel parts.  
     
     
         23 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein the first flange of at least one said prefabricated metal wall part is vertically staggeredly attached to the second flange of an adjacent said prefabricated metal wall part by fastening means, wherein more than half of the adjacently positioned prefabricated metal wall parts are attached vertically staggeredly.  
     
     
         24 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein the tower is provided with stiffening means comprising one or more stiffening rings.  
     
     
         25 . Tower for the wind turbine according to  claim 1 , wherein the tower is provided with stiffening means comprising one or more substantially horizontal stiffening rings.