Computational Flow Optimization of Heliostat Aspect Ratio for Wind Direction and Elevation Angle
TL;DRAbstract
The choice of heliostat aspect ratio has previously been shown to have an effect on the wind loading coefficients experienced by the structure due to an attacking atmospheric wind. Knowing the wind loads on heliostats is important in order to allow for adequate sizing of all components. The preferred method for determining such loadings is experimental wind tunnel studies, with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) being less popular. A CFD model capable of predicting the mean wind loadings on a heliostat structure subjected to an attacking atmospheric wind and turbulence intensity profile was developed and validated using experimental results available in the open literature. The commercial software package ANSYS Fluent V15.0 was used together with the ANSYS Workbench Design Explorer toolset to study the influence of aspect ratio on the wind loading coefficients.
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The choice of heliostat aspect ratio has previously been shown to have an effect on the wind loading coefficients experienced by the structure due to an attacking atmospheric wind. Knowing the wind loads on heliostats is important in order to allow for adequate sizing of all components. The preferred method for determining such loadings is experimental wind tunnel studies, with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) being less popular. A CFD model capable of predicting the mean wind loadings on a heliostat structure subjected to an attacking atmospheric wind and turbulence intensity profile was developed and validated using experimental results available in the open literature. The commercial software package ANSYS Fluent V15.0 was used together with the ANSYS Workbench Design Explorer toolset to study the influence of aspect ratio on the wind loading coefficients.
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