Structural Design and Load Analysis of a Small-Scale Wind Turbine Tower for Electricity Generation in Coastal Bayelsa State

The coastal and riverine communities of Bayelsa State in the South South geopolitical zone of Nigeria experience average wind speeds sufficient to support small-scale wind energy generation, yet this resource remains almost entirely untapped due to the absence of locally designed and adapted infrastructure. This study presents the structural design and load analysis of a 15-metre lattice tower for supporting a 2-kilowatt small horizontal-axis wind turbine suitable for off-grid coastal community electrification in Bayelsa State. Wind loading was determined from ten years of wind speed data recorded at Yenagoa meteorological station and processed according to the Nigerian Building Code wind load provisions. Structural analysis was conducted for the combined effects of self-weight, nacelle dead load, and design wind loads using standard truss analysis methods. Member forces, deflections, and buckling loads were computed and the tower cross-sectional members sized accordingly. A factor of safety of 2.0 was applied for both strength and stability limit states. The structural analysis confirmed that angle iron sections of 50 by 50 by 5 millimetres were adequate for all primary tower members, and the maximum tower head deflection under design wind loads was 38 millimetres, within permissible limits. Estimated material cost for the tower structure was 185,000 naira. The study provides a replicable design basis for small wind turbine deployment in coastal South South Nigerian communities. Keywords: wind turbine tower, structural analysis, lattice tower, coastal communities, Bayelsa State.