Wind induced structural response analysis of photovoltaic tracking supports by unidirectional fluid structure coupling

To investigate the wind-induced vibration characteristics of photovoltaic array tracking supports, this study uses the harmonic superposition method to simulate pulsating wind time series and, combined with fluid-structure coupling technology, analyzes the wind pressure distribution and the response to wind-induced vibration under various wind directions and tilt angles. The study finds that: the wind pressure distribution is uneven, with the first-row modules being most affected by the wind load, while the wind pressure in the rear rows decreases due to the row effect. The displacement response of the first-row modules is the largest, the second row exhibits the greatest attenuation, and the displacement in the subsequent rows tends to stabilize. Additionally, the vibration displacement of the purlins is the largest, while the main beam and columns exhibit relatively smaller displacements, indicating substantial differences in the dynamic responses of different components of the support structure under wind loading.