Solar-tracking photovoltaic arrays are susceptible to aeroelastic fluttering during high-wind events. This dynamic fluttering behavior can grow in amplitude until the panels enter an unstable mode kno...
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Higher wind speeds can initiate unsteady aerodynamic instabilities (galloping) which can initialize cracks and/or destroy sections of the array. Moderate wind loads create unsteady, reversing that lead to the
A Benchmark tracker is proposed SAT to validate critical velocities of non-stationary torsional instability due to wind action. A tracker model was tested in two different wind tunnels:
Over the past decade, torsional instability has been highlighted as the cause for most of these failures. A review of the instability mechanisms and the limitations associated with section model testing for
Wind tunnel results show that, actually, the instability is a combination between a static increase of the torsional angle (which does not reaches torsional divergence) and one-degree-of-freedom flutter.
We have carried out section model simulations both with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and in a wind tunnel, to investigate the nature of the fluid-structure interaction. The instability is the result of
Single-axis solar trackers have been widely used in photovoltaic (PV) systems due to their cost-effectiveness. However, aerodynamic instability of this structure, i.e., torsional flutter, frequently
In this paper, a failure investigation of a solar tracker due to torsional galloping is carried out. The broken structure has been analyzed in the field and a numerical model of the structure has
Single-axis trackers (SATs) are lightweight flexible structures, susceptible to aeroelastic torsional instability. This has been identified as the underlying cause of several site failures at wind speeds
Understanding the fluid-structure interaction driving this instability using an open-source, validated model can improve panel stow guidelines and inform stabilizing designs.
Solar-tracking photovoltaic arrays are susceptible to aeroelastic fluttering during high-wind events. This dynamic fluttering behavior can grow in amplitude until the panels enter an unstable mode known as