Effect of tilt angle on wind-induced vibration in pre-stressed flexible cable-supported photovoltaic systems

Abstract

With the increasing adoption of mountainous photovoltaic installations, pre-stressed flexible cable-supported photovoltaic (PV) systems (FCSPSs) are becoming increasingly popular in large-scale solar power plants due to their evident adaptability to sloping terrain. The wind-induced deformation of FCSPSs significantly influences the wind field. In this study, a two-way fluid–structure interaction (FSI) analysis is conducted to assess the wind-induced vibration response of FCSPSs at various panel tilt angles. Firstly, the analysis approach for wind-induced vibration coefficients of FCSPSs is established, which involves model equivalency, coefficient definitions, model creation, and grid and solution settings. Secondly, the modal analysis is then conducted on FCSPSs at various panel tilt angles. Subsequently, the transient response of the PV structure and the variations in the wind field are evaluated by adjusting the panel tilt angles. Finally, a quantitative analysis is performed to investigate the influence of panel tilt angles on the support reaction and displacement wind-induced vibration coefficients of FCSPSs. The results indicate that the tilt angle has a certain impact on wind-induced vibration coefficients (reaction force, displacement). The effect of the tilt angle on the internal force wind-induced vibration coefficient is more pronounced. However, the variation in displacement due to wind-induced vibrations is significantly greater than the variation in internal force. Meanwhile, the displacement wind-induced vibration coefficient and the support reaction wind-induced vibration coefficient should be considered separately for different tilt angles.