Numerical Investigation of the Characteristics of Wind Loads on Offshore Photovoltaic (PV) Panels over Uneven Bottom Boundary

Yu Shen¹, Yi Liu¹, Hanchen Zhang², Liuyang Li^3,4, Kaiming Pan⁵, Qinghe Fang^2,*
1 College of Civil Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310023, China
2 School of Ocean Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai, Weihai, 264209, China
3 China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Co., Ltd., Shanghai, 200135, China
4 China Construction Eighth Bureau General Contracting Construction Co., Ltd., Shanghai, 201204, China
5 School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, 830047, China
* Corresponding Author: Qinghe Fang. Email: email
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Health Monitoring of Transportation Infrastructure Structure)

Structural Durability & Health Monitoring https://doi.org/10.32604/sdhm.2025.072871

Received 05 September 2025; Accepted 23 October 2025; Published online 28 November 2025

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Abstract

This study presents a systematic numerical analysis of wind loads on offshore photovoltaic (PV) panels. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, incorporating a free-surface wave boundary condition, is developed and validated against experimental data. Parametric investigations quantify the effects of wind speed, panel tilt angle, clearance, and wave characteristics on the aerodynamic coefficients (drag, lift, and moment). Results indicate that all force coefficients increase with wind speed, with the lift coefficient being most sensitive to wave action. While a larger tilt angle intensifies airflow disturbance and amplifies the coefficients, this effect is more pronounced over flat ground than above a wavy surface. As clearance increases, the drag coefficient fluctuates before rising, the lift coefficient exhibits a trough-shaped response, and the moment coefficient increases monotonically, with values consistently higher over waves. Furthermore, the aerodynamic coefficients generally decrease with greater wave height. The maximum wind load occurs directly above the wave trough, and the aerodynamic force coefficient varies non-monotonically with wave position, first decreasing and then increasing. These findings offer practical guidance for the structural design and safety assurance of offshore PV systems.

Keywords

Offshore PV; numerical modelling; wind load characteristics; pressure coefficient; aerodynamic forces

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Numerical Investigation of the Characteristics of Wind Loads on Offshore Photovoltaic (PV) Panels over Uneven Bottom Boundary

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