Structural Analysis Methods and Key Influencing Factors on the Performance of Segmented Steel–Concrete Hybrid Wind Turbine Towers

The development of wind power aligns with the strategy of low-carbon development and plays a crucial role in the global transition to a green economy. The segmented steel–concrete wind turbine tower offers advantages such as modular fragment prefabrication, prestressed structural enhancement, and integrated intelligent construction. To investigate the structural performance of such towers, this paper established a numerical model based on an existing project. The model was validated against previous experiments and used for parametric analysis. A numerical model of a segmented steel–concrete wind turbine tower was developed to evaluate its overall deformation, stress distribution, and vertical and horizontal joint separation under various conditions. The concrete segment of the tower was numerically simplified, and a comparative analysis of structural performance was conducted between the detailed and simplified models. Based on the simplified model, the effects of the friction coefficient, prestress loss, and contact area on the anti-slip performance of the transition section of the towers were investigated and analyzed. The results indicated that the validity of the modeling approach was confirmed through the existing experimental results. The top displacement of the model incorporating vertical and horizontal joints (Model 1) did not exceed the limit of 1/100 under the safety factor considerations, indicating that the structure could ensure safety. The simplified model (Model 2) showed consistent behavior with Model 1, thereby providing a reliable basis for parametric studies. A reduction in the steel-to-steel friction coefficient, steel strand prestress, and contact area between the steel transition section and the embedded anchor plate resulted in an increase in the horizontal relative displacement between the steel transition section and the embedded anchor plate to varying extents. Notably, a more pronounced increase in displacement was observed under higher loading conditions. Overall, the horizontal relative displacement between the steel transition section and embedded anchor plate under single-loading conditions was below one millimeter in most of the studied conditions, which was relatively small compared to the assembly tolerance of the structure.