Techno Press
Techno Press

Wind and Structures
  Volume 41, Number 6, December 2025 , pages 465-480
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12989/was.2025.41.6.465
 


Evolution mechanism and nonlinear load characteristics of wind-wave coupled flow field in offshore novel floating tube photovoltaic arrays
Tiantian Cai, Shitang Ke, Fawu Wang, Wencai Wang, Qilong Li and Xingyu Zhang

 
Abstract
     The novel Floating Tube Photovoltaic (FTPV) system at sea is subjected to dual nonlinear loads from wind and waves, with significant inter-row interference effects observed in both the upper photovoltaic array and the lower floating tube platform, leading to a more complex flow field driving mechanism and load distribution pattern across the entire structural system. This study, based on the Fujian Dongshan offshore floating photovoltaic demonstration project, independently designed a new type of floating tube support platform with a 6-row, 3-span flexible photovoltaic array structure. The study implemented real-time coupling of nonlinear interferences between wind and waves using the VOF wave model and established a fluid structure interference simulation method based on overlapping grid technology. Comparative analyses were conducted on the evolution mechanisms of the wind and wave fields of the FTPV array under 0° and 180° wind-wave co-directional conditions, exploring the dual nonlinear aerodynamic and hydrodynamic load distribution characteristics of the FTPV array. The research results indicate that the upper photovoltaic panels generate separated vortices and counterclockwise spanwise vortices under0° and 180° conditions, respectively, while the lower floating tubes exhibit bubble vortex breakdown under 0° conditions and vortex breakdown with early vortex dissipation under180° conditions. The maximum aerodynamic loads under both conditions occur at the windward first row and the fourth row, with a maximum reduction rate of 93.45% in the rear rows. In addition, a two-dimensional load distribution model was established based on nonlinear fitting. The maximum reductions in hydrodynamic loads were 52.6% and 66.9%, with spectral peak frequencies corresponding to 0.32 Hz and 0.24 Hz, respectively. The Hurst exponents consistently exceed 0.5, indicating significant nonlinear characteristics of the loads, and the nonlinearity continued to increase with the development of the wave field.
 
Key Words
     flow field evolution; hurst exponent; new floating tube flexible photovoltaic array; nonlinear load characteristics; wind-wave coupling
 
Address
Tiantian Cai:1)Department of Civil and Airport Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 211106, China
2)Key Laboratory of Civil Engineering Dynamic Multi Disaster Protection in Jiangsu Universities (Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics), Nanjing 211106, China

Shitang Ke:1)Department of Civil and Airport Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 211106, China
2)Key Laboratory of Civil Engineering Dynamic Multi Disaster Protection in Jiangsu Universities (Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics), Nanjing 211106, China

Fawu Wang:1)Department of Civil and Airport Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 211106, China
2)Key Laboratory of Civil Engineering Dynamic Multi Disaster Protection in Jiangsu Universities (Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics), Nanjing 211106, China

Wencai Wang:Key Laboratory of Civil Engineering Dynamic Multi Disaster Protection in Jiangsu Universities (Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics), Nanjing 211106, China

Qilong Li:1)Department of Civil and Airport Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 211106, China
2)Key Laboratory of Civil Engineering Dynamic Multi Disaster Protection in Jiangsu Universities (Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics), Nanjing 211106, China

Xingyu Zhang:1)Department of Civil and Airport Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 211106, China
2)Key Laboratory of Civil Engineering Dynamic Multi Disaster Protection in Jiangsu Universities (Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics), Nanjing 211106, China
 

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