Limit requirements simulation of sundial solar tracking machine

Abstract

Sundial solar tracking machines are machines that tracking the sun, and can promote sunshine receiving efficiency of solar panels. Their operations are strongly influenced by wind load. Previous studies were focused on tracking accuracy and tracking methods, the influence of wind load to the operation of the tracking machines has not caused enough attention, so that many tracking machines did not have the reasonable design basis, which led to unreasonable design and high maintenance costs, and had seriously influenced the application and popularization of the tracking machines. Therefore, the 16 m2 sundial solar tracking machine is taken as research object from the perspective of wind load. A series of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses are carried out on the model of the 16 m2 sundial solar tracking machine. Firstly, in order to make CFD analyses carry on smoothly, after the three-dimensional solid model is established, the model is simplified, and grids are meshed on the simplified model. Then, in the virtual environment, to make the simulation closer to real but at the same time not too complex to make simulation hard to realize, assumptions of the nature of air flow are conducted, boundary conditions of the analyses are set reasonably, and appropriate CFD analysis solver is also chosen. Finally, the results of the CFD analyses are also analyzed and sorted; and limit requirements (i.e., force conditions of limit case), such as the maximum load and the maximum total torque, are provided for the further finite element analyses (FEA) and the optimization design of the products. This paper presents an effective computer simulation analysis method for the design and optimization of this type of solar tracking machine, and this method can greatly shorten the development cycle and cost.