Wind and structural loads data measured on parabolic trough solar collectors at an operational power plant

Egerer, Ulrike; Dana, Scott; Jager, David; Xia, Geng; Stanislawski, Brooke J.; Yellapantula, Shashank

doi:10.1038/s41597-023-02896-4

Wind and structural loads data measured on parabolic trough solar collectors at an operational power plant

Journal Article · Fri Jan 19 00:00:00 EST 2024 · Scientific Data

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02896-4· OSTI ID:2281950

; Dana, Scott; Jager, David; Xia, Geng; ; Yellapantula, Shashank

Abstract

Wind loading is a primary contributor to structural design costs of concentrating solar-thermal power collectors, such as heliostats and parabolic troughs. These structures must resist the mechanical forces generated by turbulent wind, while the reflector surfaces must maintain optimal optical performance. Studying wind-driven loads at a full-scale, operational concentrating solar-thermal power plant provides insights into the wind impact on the solar collector field beyond the capabilities of wind tunnel tests or state-of-the-art simulations. We conducted comprehensive field measurements of the atmospheric turbulent wind conditions and the resulting structural wind loads on parabolic troughs at the Nevada Solar One plant over a two-year period. The measurement setup included meteorological masts and structural load sensors on four trough rows. Additionally, a lidar scanned the horizontal plane above the trough field. In this study, we describe the high-resolution dataset characterizing the complex flow field and resulting structural loads. This first-of-its-kind dataset will enhance the understanding of wind loading on collector structures and will help in designing the next-generation solar collectors and photovoltaic trackers.

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Research Organization:: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

OSTI ID:: 2281950

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2283921

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA--5000-87183; 98; PII: 2896

Journal Information:: Scientific Data, Journal Name: Scientific Data Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 11; ISSN 2052-4463

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

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