Abstract
AbstractIn wind turbine towers, the preferred design is circular tubes that are connected by a bolted flange joint. The design is typically that of an L‐flange resulting in an eccentrically loaded bolted connection. The eccentricity results in a non‐linear relationship between external load on the tower and the tensile force in the bolt. In the literature and also in standards, different models are presented for this important non‐linear response. In the present paper, a simplified expression for the non‐linear force response is presented based on finite element calculations using contact analysis. The L‐flange connection is in essence a bad design because it leads to a non‐optimal ratio between external force and bolt force. Furthermore, bolt bending results in an even higher bolt stress resulting in a reduction of strength. The present paper presents simple modifications of the L‐flange design that considerably improves the connection strength. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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