Experimental study of aerodynamic loads on ground-mounted solar panel arrays: The panel spacing and inclination angle effect

Abstract

The influence of panel inclination, wind direction, and longitudinal panel spacing on the wind loads of the model of ground-mounted solar panel arrays scaled 1:20 in a wind tunnel was investigated for a Reynolds number of 1.3 × 105. The experiments were carried out at the panel inclination of 25° and 45°, dimensionless panel spacing in tandem of 0.5 and 1, and the wind directions of the incoming flow were varied from 0° to 180° at 30° intervals. A constant temperature anemometer was used to measure the velocity and turbulence intensities, and a pressure scanner system measured static pressures. The results indicated that the net pressure coefficients of the solar panels were increased with the panel inclination angle and spacing between solar panels, and the maximum wind loads were obtained on the first windward panel. It was also observed that in terms of maximum uplift and drag, 180° and 0° was found to be the critical wind direction, respectively. In contrast, in terms of overturning moments, 30° and 150° were the critical wind directions.

Wind Load and Wind-Induced Vibration of Photovoltaic Supports: A Review

“…Stenabaugh [50] et al studied the influence of geometric shapes on the wind loads acting on PV arrays and found that the more significant the gap between panels, the smaller the gap between the panels and roof surfaces and the smaller the net wind loads generated. Yemenici [51] et al found that the panel gap had a more significant influence on the wind loads of intermediate panels after conducting aerodynamic load measurements on groundbased solar panel arrays. Shademan [52] et al examined the effects of ground clearance on the average wind load and fluctuating wind loads of solar panels by utilizing the detached eddy simulation method, and the results showed that an increase in clearance would cause an increased average wind load and unstable wind load.…”

Experimental evaluation of wind loads on a ground-mounted solar panel of various ground clearances and Reynolds numbers

“…The tests were performed with measuring instruments in an open-loop type, a low-speed wind tunnel in the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory of the Uludag University which was the same in the Yemenici 's work [22]. The 22 kW blowing type wind tunnel provides 35 m/s maximum flow velocity and a turbulent intensity of 20% with turbulence-generating spires.…”