Additive Manufacturing of a Steel Splice Joint for Tubular Elements in a Modular Wind Tower

Wind turbines of large size pose a challenge to structural engineers in providing suitable supporting structures. Nevertheless, these structures frequently result in complex logistical requirements, raising the expenses of new projects. Hence, the design philosophy is shifting towards lighter and modular towers, which often use tubular components. However, due to the intricate shape of the joints, connecting these tubular components is costly and laborious. Therefore, considering the advantages of new fabrication techniques, such as additive manufacturing, a ‘plug and play’ (PnP) device is in development to satisfy the requirements of a splice joint part of an onshore modular tower supporting a wind energy converter. An optimisation methodology was developed to determine the geometry of the device by structural topology optimisation and validate using finite element method software. As result from this methodology, three optimised geometries able to meet the desired requirements were found. Finally, the PnP device delivered a bespoke solution that allows for the simple joining of modular tubular components and reduces the raw material consumption without compromising the performance of the joint.