solar tracking system Structural design

[Saedhalteh]

Hello All,

Can someone help me understand the effect of a moving system on the structural design.
For example: when designing a Tracking solar system as shown in the link below, will this movement affect the beam design and add additional load to be considered ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1L_EjuFav4

If yes, then what type of analysis should we use to consider this movement or vibration effect ? should we do Time history analysis ??

 

[r13]

If you are asking the design of the tracker system (an operator), this is the wrong place for the questions. Structural engineer is more likely gotten into the picture when asked to design the support for the completed operator, which is not much different than a static solar system. The difference came from the constant changing in solar panel orientation, thus one need to identify the worst angle for wind considerations. The tracker system should not produce any vibration, as it is hydraulic actuated. Even it has, the vibration would be negligibly small, because of the slow motion in tracking the movement of the sun light through the day. Other than wind, the tracker system will experience dynamic force during the seismic event, however, IMO, there is no difference between the tracker (moving) system and the typical static solar.

 

[BUGGAR]

The tracking system must resist all those wind forces from their various directions. Ditto seismic.

 

[phamENG]

I know that video looks fast, but think about how quickly the sun actually appears to move across the sky. It's going to move less and at a slower rate than a fan motor. What considerations do you make for a fan motor mounted to a beam?

 

[IRstuff]

72.7 microradians per second is the Earth's, and hence, the sun's maximum angular rate

TTFN (ta ta for now)
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[BAretired]

Let's see...2Π/(24*60*60) = 7.27e-5 or 0.0000727 radians/sec = 72.7 microradians/sec. Sounds about right! Not my favourite units; 0.262 radians/hour would be clearer.

BA