A Parametric Study of Flexible Support Deflection of Photovoltaic Cells Considering Wind-Induced Load Using Time History Technique

In this paper, we mainly consider the parametric analysis of the disturbance of the flexible photovoltaic (PV) support structure under two kinds of wind loads, namely, mean wind load and fluctuating wind load, to reduce the wind-induced damage of the flexible PV support structure and improve its safety and durability. The wind speed time history was simulated by the response spectrum method, and the 15.6 m flexible PV support was analyzed comprehensively. The influence of critical parameters, such as panel inclination angle, wind direction angle, and template gap, on the wind-induced response of the flexible PV support was compared and analyzed under two wind loads. The results showed that the panel inclination angle positively correlated with the structural displacement, while the template gap was negatively correlated with the structural displacement. Furthermore, structural displacements were observed to be higher at 0° and 180° wind direction angles compared to those at 45° and 135° angles. Compared with other horizontal force-bearing structures, the horizontal force-bearing structure of inclined steel columns had more robust safety, construction convenience, and economy. It is worth noting that the fluctuating wind load was much smaller than the mean wind load, but its impact on the flexible PV support structure cannot be ignored.