Wind loading on Solar arrays

[Billduck]

I am into tracking solar array's. And live in Houston. So designing for high winds is paramount. I wonder if Inventor will have a package for analysis of wind loads. It is a different kind of FEA. Call it a 3-D distributed load. Any comments?

[blair]

Not wind loading directly, you would need to convert the wind velocity into a direct force load. You should look at Simulation Mechanical for direct wind loading. http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/simulation_detail_brochure_en.pdf

[Inv_kaos]

Quite often this wind force is applied to the model as a reaction at the base plate or mounting point. You calculate your wind pressure from the loading code and apply it to the projected area of the structure to give your force and moment at the base. This is usually more relevant to the structural item you are checking and easier than applying it accurately to the 3D model. Unless you specifically need to run CFD or assess vortex induced vibration then this isn't done in FEA.

[Billduck]

I would love to have the CFD capability within IV. Maybe it will be a future add, within the stress analysis package. I hear from other tracking solar manufacturers, that vortex induced vibration is real issue. -- Thanks, Bill S Ph 832-338-3080 www.watt-tracker.com www.promotingevs.com

[blair]

You should really be looking at Sim-Mech (formally Algor) then. I can't really see Autodesk expanding the FEA with Inventor when they sell Sim-Mech. We do a lot of Hydrostatic loading and use Sim-Mech for it. I could use a work a round and use the Split-Face to create regions and apply different loads to each region to fake a varying load but much easier just to use Sim-Mech.

[Inv_kaos · Accepted solution]

CFD in Inventor.. based on their current rate of including just some of the basic plassotech features I don't think I will live long enough to see this inclusion, would be nice though. There is a fair bit of literature on VIV that may allow you to design it without detailed analysis. If you do go for the software upgrade check that the ASM advanced turbulance solver is suitable to give you the expected results, otherwise Simulation CFD could be the way to go.