Project brief
This CFD study analyzes the pressure distribution, velocity field, and area-weighted average pressure on solar photovoltaic (PV) panels under wind loading. The objective is to evaluate flow behavior and provide pressure coefficients for structural design optimization.
What was at risk
Wind loading is one of the primary design considerations for large-scale rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. The aerodynamic interaction between wind flow, building configuration, and PV array layout significantly influences pressure distribution and structural loading on the panels.
The client required a CFD study to:
Compare Separate Building and Common Building configurations.
Evaluate wind-induced pressure distribution for different PV array sizes.
Quantify pressure variation on the top and bottom surfaces of the PV panels.
Determine the critical wind loading condition for structural design.
Provide CFD-based pressure data to support structural optimization and design validation.
Solution offered
A comprehensive three-dimensional CFD analysis was performed using ANSYS Fluent to evaluate airflow behavior and wind-induced pressure distribution on rooftop solar PV arrays under different building configurations and spacing conditions.
The numerical study included:
Separate Building and Common Building configurations.
Case matrix based on PV array location.
2L×3, 4L×3, and 6L×3 PV array layouts.
Velocity distribution analysis.
Pressure distribution analysis.
Area-weighted average pressure extraction on the top and bottom panel surfaces.
The CFD results were compared across all cases to identify the critical wind loading condition and provide pressure data for structural design optimization and validation.
Challenges we overcame
Comparing pressure and velocity fields across building configurations and spacing conditions.
Predicting pressure distribution on the top and bottom surfaces of the PV panels.
Analyzing flow separation and recirculation zones around the PV panels and support structures.
Identifying the critical wind loading case for structural design.
How we executed
- 1
Geometry Preparation- Developed three-dimensional CAD models representing Separate Building and Common Building configurations with multiple PV array layouts.
- 2
Mesh Generation- Generated a high-quality computational mesh with local refinement around the PV panels and support structures to accurately resolve the airflow.
- 3
Boundary conditions- Applied a Power Law wind velocity profile at the inlet with pressure outlet and no-slip wall boundary conditions for all CFD cases.
- 4
CFD Solver Setup- Configured a steady-state, pressure-based solver using the SST k-ω turbulence model to predict velocity and pressure distributions under wind loading.
- 5
Post-Processing- Extracted velocity contours, pressure contours, streamlines, and area-weighted average pressure on the top and bottom panel surfaces to evaluate aerodynamic loading across all cases.
Project outcome
Reduced design time by replacing multiple physical wind tunnel iterations with CFD simulations.
Minimized development cost through virtual aerodynamic performance evaluation.
Accelerated design optimization using pressure and velocity analysis.
Provided reliable engineering data for faster structural design decisions with reduced project cost.
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