Advancing wind turbine structures for China’s challenging environments
image: Engineering applications of the steel-prestressed concrete hybrid tower.
Credit: Zhou, X., Wang, Y., Luo, Y., Xiao, F., Ke, K., Xu, F., Ren, W., and Ayough, P.
As wind turbines grow taller, the structures supporting them must carry greater loads while coping with conditions ranging from freezing mountain environments to offshore storms and earthquakes. A review published in the journal Journal of Energy Infrastructure by researchers at Chongqing University brings together structural engineering advances that are helping address these challenges in China.
The article draws on research and engineering applications developed through collaboration between the university and industry partners. It examines turbine towers, offshore converter stations, vibration-control devices and equipment used to construct offshore wind farms.
“Building larger wind turbines brings new demands for their supporting structures, which must withstand increasingly challenging environmental conditions,” explains corresponding author Fei Xu. “These structures need to provide sufficient strength and stiffness, while remaining practical to transport, construct and maintain in very different environments.”
One example is the steel-prestressed concrete hybrid tower, which combines an upper steel section with a lower concrete section. “Applying compression to the concrete helps control cracking, while the combined structure provides stiffness for tall turbines,” explains Xu. “Prefabricated components also make construction more efficient.”
The authors report that this system has been deployed in more than 3,200 turbines at over 140 wind farms across China, with a cumulative installed capacity of 15 gigawatts.
The team also described lattice towers made with concrete-filled steel tubes, whose transportable components offer advantages for mountainous sites. Offshore applications include improved structural designs for converter stations, which collect and transmit electricity from wind farms, and vibration-damping systems for foundation-installation equipment.
“Another study discussed in the review examined an adjustable vibration absorber for an offshore reference turbine,” shares Xu. “Under the earthquake excitations investigated, the device reduced peak tower-top displacement and acceleration by an average of 44% and 43%, respectively.”
Nonetheless, challenges remain in understanding how steel and concrete interact, how connections withstand repeated loading, and how offshore structures perform over time under combined environmental forces.
“Engineering applications show how these technologies can support wind power development,” Xu adds. “We hope this review helps researchers and industry partners identify the next steps, from floating foundations and taller towers to smarter construction and maintenance.”
Contact author details: Fei Xu, School of Civil Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Safety and Resilience of Civil Engineering in Mountain Area, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China. Email: fei.xu@cqu.edu.cn.
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