Turbulence-Induced Buffeting Response and Vibration Mitigation of a Cable-Supported Photovoltaic System

The stochastic buffeting response characteristics and control performance of a cable-supported flexible photovoltaic system under turbulent inflow were investigated through aeroelastic wind tunnel tests in an atmospheric boundary layer corresponding to terrain category A. Emphasis was placed on the stochastic vibration features induced by turbulence and their dependence on wind direction and structural reinforcement. The results demonstrate that the structural response is dominated by turbulence-induced buffeting, exhibiting pronounced random and non-periodic characteristics. Spectral analysis reveals a mixed frequency pattern, with broadband features in vertical vibration and narrowband characteristics in torsional vibration. A wind-induced vibration coefficient was introduced to quantify relative fluctuation intensity, and an applicability criterion was adopted to avoid misleading interpretation under near-zero mean-response conditions. The response shows strong wind-direction dependence, with generally lower response levels within 0–90° and larger, more variable responses within 90–180°, together with local amplification at several oblique wind directions. Despite these local amplifications, the opposite wind directions (0° and 180°) govern the extreme global responses. Clear spatial differences are observed between the mid-span and side span, with the side span showing stronger wind-directional sensitivity. Structural reinforcement effectively suppresses turbulence-induced responses, particularly the fluctuating components, with the maximum reduction rate reaching approximately 98.7%. The reinforced cables also modify the wind-directional distribution of the response and exhibit varying mitigation effectiveness depending on the response component and spatial location. The present study highlights the distinct characteristics of buffeting-dominated responses in flexible photovoltaic systems under turbulent wind conditions and provides a reference for evaluating vibration control strategies in practical engineering applications.