Experimental study of wind load of solar trackers on flat-roof buildings

Chia Ren Chu, Sheng Jue Tsao

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

Abstract

This study uses wind tunnel experiment to investigate the aerodynamic loading on the solar tracker installed on flat-roof buildings. The surface pressures on the model tracker are measured under different wind directions, azimuth angles, inclined angles and pedestal height of the tracker. The experimental results reveal that the maximum positive net pressure occurs when wind direction θ = 45o, while the maximum suction (negative net pressure) occurs when θ = 225o for azimuth angle α = 45o and the absolute value of the maximum suction is greater than the maximum positive pressure for the same tracker height and inclined angle. In addition, due to the separation shear layer on the building roof, the wind load decreases as the tracker height decreases. The surface pressures of the tracker installed on the downwind building of two adjacent buildings are also examined. Due to the shelter effect of upwind building, the windward pressure of the tracker on the roof of downwind building is reduced when the spacing between two buildings is less than five times of building height.

Original languageEnglish
StatePublished - 2017
Event9th Asia Pacific Conference on Wind Engineering, APCWE 2017 - Auckland, New Zealand
Duration: 3 Dec 20177 Dec 2017

Conference

Conference9th Asia Pacific Conference on Wind Engineering, APCWE 2017
Country/TerritoryNew Zealand
CityAuckland
Period3/12/177/12/17

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