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Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Belgrade , Belgrade , Serbia
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Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ruhr University Bochum , Bochum , Germany
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Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ruhr University Bochum , Bochum , Germany
Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Belgrade , Belgrade , Serbia
Solar panels (SPs) are designed to withstand wind-induced loading, characterised by varying wind speeds and directions, as well as high turbulence. This paper examines force coefficient statistics—mean, standard deviation, 3-s gust and peak values—on an isolated SP model, using data from an experimental campaign conducted in the atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel at Ruhr University Bochum. A geometric scale of 1:30 was adopted for the SP model, tested across two terrain roughness profiles, three wind speeds, and various approaching wind directions, at a fixed tilt angle of 30°. Findings indicate that wind profiles with lower turbulence intensity produce lower force coefficients across all wind directions, whereas variations in wind speed show no significant effect. The collected dataset is intended to support the validation of future computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies.
wind loading, wind tunnel testing, solar panel, force coefficient statistics, peak force coefficient
This work was enabled by the networking and collaboration fostered through COST Action CA20109 MODENERLANDS, funded by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST).
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