Prof. Carlos Rebelo
University of Coimbra, Portugal

Title: Self-Erecting Modular Wind Turbine Tower - Experimental and Numerical Assessment of Composite Curved Panels

Abstract: The presentation will address the results of an experimental and numerical investigation into the axial performance of six identical Steel and Concrete Composite Curved Panels designed as modular components for self-erecting wind turbine towers. Both compressive and tensile behaviors were evaluated on scaled specimens, which serve as representative modules of the Self-Erecting Tower (SeT) system. Compression tests revealed that failure was primarily governed by global buckling of the steel frame coupled with concrete crushing, while tensile tests indicated that failure predominantly occurred at the steel connections. High-resolution Digital Image Correlation (DIC) was employed to monitor crack initiation, propagation, and the strain distribution across the panels, additionally providing a detailed insight into local damage mechanisms. A finite element model was developed using ABAQUS and calibrated upon the experimental results, A Geometrically and Materially Nonlinear Analysis with Imperfections (GMNIA) was performed, which accurately captured both the global and local failure modes, with numerical load–displacement responses closely aligning with experimental observations. Additionally, a sensitivity study on initial geometric imperfections highlighted their critical impact on axial capacity and panel stability. Overall, the findings validate the modular concept and demonstrate its potential as a robust, efficient solution for advanced, modular wind turbine tower designs.

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