Assessment of wind loads and mean overturning response of ground-mounted photovoltaic panels in desert highway service areas

With the increasing demand for long-distance travel by new energy vehicles, highway service areas in the desert regions of Xinjiang are being transformed from conventional transport supply stations into integrated energy hubs. These hubs combine photovoltaic (PV) power generation, energy storage, and charging facilities. However, the open desert terrain, strong winds, and gusty wind conditions expose ground-mounted PV panels to a high risk of wind-induced overturning. To address the wind-resistance safety of low-clearance ground-mounted PV panels, unsteady numerical simulations were conducted using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Three ground clearances were considered: 0.2 m, 0.5 m, and 0.8 m. The wind direction angle ranged from 0° to 180°, with an interval of 15°. The mean wind pressure, fluctuating wind pressure, and mean overturning moments about the X - and Y -axes of the panel were analyzed. Mean-flow patterns were interpreted using time-averaged streamline structures. The results show that the wind direction angle has a significant effect on the wind pressure distribution and overturning response of the panel. High-value regions of mean and fluctuating wind pressure are mainly concentrated near the windward leading edge, panel corners, and local separated shear layers. Under oblique inflow conditions, especially at 60° and 120°, the time-averaged flow field exhibits pronounced three-dimensional separation, local flow acceleration, and corner-flow features. These mean-flow features are consistent with the asymmetric mean wind-pressure distributions, eccentric resultant wind pressure, and large mean overturning moments observed under these wind directions. As the ground clearance increases, the mean overturning moments increase, with the most pronounced effect observed for the moment about the Y -axis. When the ground clearance increases from 0.2 m to 0.8 m, the mean absolute magnitude of C MY increases by 95.9%, nearly doubling. The findings provide a reference for the anti-overturning design of PV support structures, the selection of installation height, the identification of key reinforcement zones, and the safe operation of ground-mounted PV systems in desert highway service areas.