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Lattice and Tubular Steel Wind Turbine Towers. Comparative Structural Investigation

Author

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  • Nafsika Stavridou

    (Civil Engineering Department, Steel Structures Laboratory, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki, Greece)

  • Efthymios Koltsakis

    (Civil Engineering Department, Steel Structures Laboratory, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki, Greece)

  • Charalampos C. Baniotopoulos

    (Civil Engineering Department, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK)

Abstract

Renewable energy is expected to experience epic growth in the coming decade, which is reflected in the record new installations since 2010. Wind energy, in particular, has proved its leading role among sustainable energy production means, by the accelerating rise in total installed capacity and by its consistently increasing trend. Taking a closer look at the history of wind power development, it is obvious that it has always been a matter of engineering taller turbines with longer blades. An increase in the tower height means an increase in the material used, thereby, impacting the initial construction cost and the total energy consumed. In the present study, a numerical investigation is carried out in order to actively compare conventional cylindrical shell towers with lattice towers in terms of material use, robustness and environmental impact. Lattice structures are proved to be equivalently competitive to conventional cylindrical solutions since they can be designed to be robust enough while being a much lighter tower in terms of material use. With detailed design, lattice wind turbine towers can constitute the new generation of wind turbine towers.

Suggested Citation

  • Nafsika Stavridou & Efthymios Koltsakis & Charalampos C. Baniotopoulos, 2020. "Lattice and Tubular Steel Wind Turbine Towers. Comparative Structural Investigation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-21, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:23:p:6325-:d:453906
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Varun & Bhat, I.K. & Prakash, Ravi, 2009. "LCA of renewable energy for electricity generation systems--A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 13(5), pages 1067-1073, June.
    2. Blanco, María Isabel, 2009. "The economics of wind energy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 13(6-7), pages 1372-1382, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Charis J. Gantes & Maria Villi Billi & Mahmut Güldogan & Semih Gül, 2021. "A Novel Tripod Concept for Onshore Wind Turbine Towers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-25, September.
    2. Georgios Malliotakis & Panagiotis Alevras & Charalampos Baniotopoulos, 2021. "Recent Advances in Vibration Control Methods for Wind Turbine Towers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-37, November.

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