To investigate the wind-induced vibration of a single-axis solar tracker, this study employs a combination of rigid model pressure measurement wind tunnel tests and finite element calculations. This study addresses the critical gap of full-array wind-induced response analysis and provides region-specific dynamic amplification factor recommendations applicable to comparable tracker configurations. The wind load distribution on the solar tracker surface is obtained through rigid model pressure measurement tests; the natural frequency and mode of the solar tracker are determined via finite element calculations; and the wind-induced response of the solar tracker is computed by integrating the wind load and its self-vibration characteristics. At small tilt angles, a shielding effect is observed, with the wake region exhibiting a lower standard deviation of the torque coefficient than the windward region, whereas at large tilt angles, an amplification effect is observed, with the wake region exhibiting a higher standard deviation. The wind-induced vibration of the solar tracker is predominantly characterized by torsional vibration around the main axis, with larger torsional displacements observed in the end regions and the area between the two drive posts. Furthermore, recommended dynamic amplification factors are provided: 2.07~2.41 for the corner regions, 1.85~1.92 for the mid-span regions, and 1.98~2.23 for the end regions.
Chen et al. (Wed,) studied this question.