Patent ID: 8056296

Claim:
A method of assembling a wind turbine tower, said method comprising: providing a plurality of tower members, wherein each of the plurality of tower members has a top end and a radially extending protrusion extending from a bottom end; coupling at least a first tower section to at least a second tower section to at least partially assemble the tower member; coupling at least a first tower member to at least a second tower member to form the wind turbine tower with a substantially constant diameter, the wind turbine tower including a lower tower base and an opposite upper tower end, wherein the lower tower base is supported from a ground surface, the upper tower end extends a first height above the ground surface; coupling the radially extending protrusion extending from the bottom end of the first tower member to the top end of the second tower member such that the top end of the second tower member is interlocked within at least a portion of the bottom end of the first tower member, and such that an inner surface of the first tower member bottom end protrusion contacts the outer surface of the second tower member to facilitate friction damping between adjacent tower members; coupling the bottom end of the first tower member to the top end of the second tower member with at least one of a mechanical coupling and a weld; coupling at least one flange to each of the plurality of tower members, wherein the at least one flange includes at least one aperture extending therethrough; and coupling at least one support member to each of the plurality of tower members such that the at least one support member extends through the at least one flange aperture, the at least one support member having a height that is approximately equal to the first height of the wind turbine tower.