Abstract
Solar energy is a promising renewable energy alternative. Floating PV systems are a good alternative to land-based PV systems, as it requires less dry land area, and it receives cooling from surrounding water. One problem with FPV systems is that they are prone to damage due to extreme weather conditions. This study aimed to simulate wind loads on FPV systems, using both CFD and the panel method through Apame, and to compare these methods to find out if Apame is a viable option for rough estimates for pressure and lift and drag forces. Apame is a good alternative for rough estimates as it simulates and computes forces at a much faster rate than CFD simulations. In this study, different methods and mesh types in Apame have been used to try to find a consistent and sufficiently accurate way to calculate forces. This was done through multiple different cases simulated in Apame and compared to literature and CFD results, concluding that the First Order Accurate method gave the best lift and drag results as well as pressure results across all cases, and that tilting the mesh before simulating gives more reliable results than Apames tilt function. A 4x4 FPV system mesh has been simulated in both Apame and CFD using First Order and Nodal methods obtaining lift and drag forces and a pressure plot visualized and presented in Paraview. The results showed that the panel method could be a viable time-saving addition to the R&D process provided it is used within the limitation of the method.