SBIR Phase I: Phase I Research: Beam/Hub Connection Design - Considerations for Wind Energy Industry loadings for A Precast Footer Assembly

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目支持大型风能塔模块化基础结构工程的研究。使用组装部件的结构连接从未被考虑过，在这种情况下，所涉及的力量是目前在风力涡轮机中经历的规模。美国每年大约建造3000台涡轮机（和基础），全球大约建造10000台，代表着10亿美元的国内市场。如今，现浇混凝土技术很好地服务于这个市场。然而，一个更轻、更坚固、安装速度更快的基础系统将为整个风能行业带来巨大的价值。首先，它将提高项目经济性，降低清洁风电的价格。其次，这项创新将消除当前混凝土工程固有的融资和项目时间问题。第三，这项创新将允许在项目生命周期结束时完全恢复农田，因为所提议的结构元素被设计为从地下提出来，重新测试强度，然后再利用。第四，基于现有的现浇技术所需水泥的减少，新方法将为每100兆瓦的风力发电场减少5000吨二氧化碳的排放。本课题的智力优势在于先进的材料研究、先进的结构工程研究、先进的施工方法研究，并将三者结合为一个结构单元，能够满足风力发电机组基础所需的巨大倾覆力。研究将包括结构设计发现的有限元建模，加上对后张拉混凝土系统的新研究，以及基础研究中的新分析方法。研究项目的结果旨在产生一种商业上可行的结构元件，可以根据风电行业的规模和要求，安全、高效、经济地将塔与梁元件连接起来。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project supports research into the structural engineering of a modular foundation for large wind energy towers. Structural connections using assembled components have never been contemplated in cases where the forces involved are of the magnitude currently experienced in today's wind turbines. About 3,000 turbines (and foundations) are constructed each year in the U.S. and about 10,000 internationally, representing a $1 billion domestic market. This market is served well today by cast-in-place concrete technology. Nevertheless a lighter, stronger, and quicker-to-install foundation system would introduce tremendous value to the entire wind energy industry. First, it would improve project economics and reduce the price of clean wind electricity. Second, the innovation would eliminate financing and project timing issues inherent with current concrete works. Third, the innovation would allow farmland to be fully recovered at the end of the project lifecycle, as the proposed structural elements are designed to be lifted back out of the earth, re-tested for strength, and then reused. Fourth, the new approach will eliminate 5,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions for each 100 megawatt wind farm, based on a reduction in the required cement for the incumbent cast-in-place technology.The intellectual merit of this project consists in advanced materials research, advanced structural engineering research, advanced construction methods research, and combining the three into a structural element that can meet the massive overturning forces required of a wind turbine foundation. The research will include finite element modeling of structural design discoveries, plus new research into post-tensioning concrete systems, and new analytical methods in foundation study. The results of the research program are intended to yield a commercially viable structural element that can connect the tower to the girder elements safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively, based on the scale and requirements of the wind industry.