General Electric Company
METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING WIND TURBINE TOWER STRUCTURE WITH EMBEDDED REINFORCEMENT SENSING ELEMENTS

Abstract:

A method for manufacturing a tower structure of a wind turbine includes printing, via an additive printing device, the tower structure of the wind turbine of a cementitious material. During printing, the method includes embedding one or more reinforcement sensing elements at least partially within the cementitious material at one or more locations. Thus, the reinforcement sensing element(s) are configured for sensing structural health of the tower structure, sensing temperature of the cementitious material, heating to control cure time of the cementitious material, and/or reinforcing the cementitious material. In addition, the method includes curing the cementitious material so as to form the tower structure.