The entire history of power generation, from Benjamin Franklin’s kite experiments 250 years ago, to deep sea drilling for oil and gas is a complex tale of imaginative inventiveness riding up against economic realities. As wind power takes hold across the world, developers are constantly looking for new ways to make the technology lighter, faster, and more efficient. PES investigates…
In March this year, GE announced that engineers in its wind power unit have developed a 450-foot tall “space frame” tower that will help wind farm operators erect turbines in places that were previously inaccessible. Dispensing with the standard steel tube towers, the new design is a metal latticework wrapped in a fiberglass, weather-resistant coat that is strong enough to last for the lifetime of the structure. The lattice girders can be loaded inside shipping containers and onto ordinary trucks and bolted together at the final destination, according to GE.
It’s a revolutionary design, one that is set to transform the industry yet again.
Available for the 2.5/2.75-120 at 139m hub height, the space frame tower can be easily delivered to, and assembled at any project site, including those where terrain makes movement of traditional tower sections difficult.
GE’s space frame tower provides a global solution for the taller tower challenge – taking into account fabrication, long distance transportation, assembly and installation, as well as lifecycle considerations.
Serial production is planned for 2015.
Stress-free logistics
Unlike conventional tubular steel towers, which require specialised trailers and permits, complex logistics planning, and are subject to restricted movement time frames, the elements of the space frame tower are transported via standard 12.2m (40′) shipping containers or flatbed trailers. The result is predictable, efficient tower delivery across the globe to keep your project on schedule.
GE’s space frame tower has an architectural fabric covering, or cladding, which provides the aesthetic of a solid structure tower in a structurally efficient lattice design. This may benefit projects which have a permit with conventional tower design. The cladding provides protection from the weather for tower internals and service personnel, while allowing useful ambient light to pass through.
