Solar Panel in Periodic Flow
Model ID: 12205
The coupling of fluid flow and structural mechanics is a challenging problem for several reasons. The fluid flow problem usually requires a specific kind of mesh that is not appropriate for structural mechanics. Additionally, one may want to include geometric features in the structural model that are not significant for the fluid flow model.
This model computes the structural stresses and deflections on a solar panel due to a turbulent wind load. Different geometries and meshes are used for the fluid and structural problems. The free stream air flow is 15 m/s, and the solar panel is in a regularly spaced array, implying periodic flow boundary conditions.
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Velocity streamlines, colored by the turbulent kinetic energy normalized by the kinetic energy in the free stream, and in-plane velocity components 6 cm behind the panel. |
