RFSR-CT-2015-00021

Código da Operação: RFSR-CT-2015-00021

Acrónimo: SHOWTIME

Referência: RFSR-CT-2015-00021 SHOWTIME

Título: Steel onshore wind towers installed with minimum effort

Área Científica: Construção metálica e mista

Síntese do Projeto: More powerful wind turbines need higher towers (over 120 m) and therefore require new solutions which are economically justified and environmentally friendly. The project goal is to find an economical solution based on a hybrid tower, comprising a steel lattice lower part and a steel tubular upper part. The solution is targeted at tall onshore applications which are more effective in energy generation in situations where wind shear profile is clearly benefiting higher turbines, for example near forests. The work will focus on: • the erection process, in which the lattice portion of the tower is used as support for the installation of the upper tubular part of the tower and the turbine, • the use of new type of steel for maintenance-free bolts and high strength steel grades for critical parts of the tower (the transition between the lattice and tubular parts) • the optimization of design and construction of a low maintenance truss structure for the design life. The work packages and the partnership are formed in order to address following issues: i) Optimal proportions and geometry of lattice and tubular parts of the hybrid structure, considering transport and crane size constraints; Conceptual design of several case studies will be performed. ii) Competitiveness of solution in terms of structural performance and life cycle assessment; fabrication, construction and inservice maintenance must be minimized; alternative steel-intensive piled foundations will be considered. iii) Practicality of erection process (using lower lattice part as support for sliding procedure); numerical simulations will be carried out and a small scale prototype will be constructed. iv) Use of high strength steel grades for the lattice part and transition segment; several experimental tests are proposed in order to assess compressive strength of truss bars, stiffness of joints, feasibility of erection, resistance of transition segment and metallurgical characterization of bolts' steel.

Investigador Responsável: Doutor Luís Simões da Silva

Programa de Financiamento: RFCS

Instituição Financiadora: Commission Of The European Community

Data de início: 01-07-2015

Data de conclusão: 30-06-2018

Instituições participantes no Projeto: Universidade de Coimbra (coordinator); Lulea University of Technology; RWTH Aachen; University of Birmingham Royal Charter; Gerdau I&D; Steel Construction Institute; Martifer; Friedberg.

Custo total elegível (EUR): 1.849.586,00€

Apoio financeiro da UE: 1.109.751,00€

Apoio financeiro público nacional: 133.300,00€

Técnico do Projeto: Marta Mateus

Contacto: 239247020