Aeolian erosion and deposition around photovoltaic arrays on sandy and gravel desert surfaces

The deployment of photovoltaic (PV) power stations in sandy and gravel desert regions is frequently challenged by windblown sand hazards. Wind tunnel experiments and computational fluid dynamics simulations were conducted to investigate erosion and deposition around PV arrays under different surface conditions, tilt angles, wind directions, and protective measures. Results show distinct erosion and deposition patterns between sandy and gravel desert surfaces: gravel surfaces are dominated by leeward sand accumulation, whereas sandy surfaces exhibit strong leeward deposition coupled with lateral erosion, both linearly correlated with tilt angle ( R 2 > 0.9). In multiple array panels, flow interference weakens intra-array erosion–deposition but amplifies side-channel scouring. Tilt angle and wind direction emerge as key controls by reshaping near-surface flow and wall shear stress distributions. Increasing the tilt from 15° to 60° enlarges erosion zones by approximately 2 to 3 times and enhances peak wall shear stress by nearly 300%, with reversed erosion zones forming in the wake. Changes in wind direction disrupt flow symmetry, while the 180° inflow condition produces zones of negative wall shear stress on both the upstream and downstream sides of the panel. Regarding protective measures, the integration of sand barriers with PV panels substantially suppresses wall shear stress by enhancing pressure conversion efficiency and increasing drag coefficients, thereby mitigating sub-panel jet effects and improving leeward sheltering efficiency by a factor of 1.67. Engineering applications demonstrate divergent suggestions, with semi-buried barriers or gravel mulching employed to suppress the venturi effect under solar panels in sandy desert environments, while feather rows or deflectors are utilized to manage incident airflow across gravel terrains. Future work should focus on optimizing barrier configurations and array layouts under site-specific conditions to minimize erosion and deposition risks.