Joint Effects of Pitch Angle and Azimuth Angles on the Aerodynamic Probability Characteristics of Heliostat
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52825/solarpaces.v4i.2948Keywords:
Heliostat Structure, Solar Thermal Energy, Gaussian Distribution, Wind-Resistant DesignAbstract
Heliostats are frequently exposed to wind loads during operation, and specific pitch–azimuth angle combinations can critically affect structural stability, tracking accuracy, and power generation efficiency. This study investigates the aerodynamic characteristics of a single heliostat under various pitch–azimuth configurations through wind tunnel experiments. The mean values and probability distributions of drag, lift, and hinge moment coefficients were analyzed, distinguishing Gaussian from non-Gaussian regions. Results show that heliostat wind loads strongly depend on pitch–azimuth combinations, with certain attitudes amplifying aerodynamic forces. The rear support structure enhances turbulence, leading to pronounced non-Gaussian behavior under low pitch–high azimuth and high pitch–low azimuth conditions. Aerodynamic coefficients exhibit kurtosis-dominated non-Gaussian distributions at extreme azimuth angles, while hinge moment coefficients transition to kurtosis- and skewness-dominated distributions under high azimuth. These findings highlight that unfavorable pitch–azimuth configurations significantly increase the probability of extreme loads. To ensure accurate peak load estimation in heliostat wind-resistant design, it is essential to account for these adverse aerodynamic conditions in structural evaluation.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Wen Zhang, Guohua Xing, José F. Gallego, Pengyong Miao, Haojun Xia, Junjie Tao, Zhaowen Wang
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Accepted 2026-04-29
Published 2026-06-22
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National Key Research and Development Program of China
Grant numbers 2023YFE0112700