Session: 09-08-03 Floating Solar: Loads and Responses

Submission Number: 181751

Wave-Induced Pressure Loads on a Floating Solar Array in Regular North Sea Wave Conditions: a Full-Scale Experimental Study 

Offshore floating photovoltaic (OFPV) systems offer a promising solution for sustainable, carbon-free energy generation. Their use in offshore environments is relatively new, and clear design guidelines are not yet defined. There is a need for full-scale experimental validation to support design verification and safety assessment, which will ultimately lead to standardized certification guidelines.

This paper presents full-scale experimental testing of an OFPV concept, with three primary objectives: (1) to investigate physical characteristics and processes that are not easily scalable, (2) to reproduce realistic loading conditions for PV modules and their supporting platforms in a controlled environment, and (3) to explore representative testing procedures that could serve as a basis for standardized guidelines for OFPV systems.

Two configurations were tested under systematically varied wave conditions: a fixed setup, which included a PV module mounted on a fixed partial platform, and a floating setup with PV modules on floaters. The fixed tests focused on wave loads and pressure distributions on the PV module resulting from direct wave impact. The floating tests aimed to provide insight into the behavior of multiple interconnected platforms in realistic wave conditions. Although a broad set of measurements was collected, this paper focuses on (i) pressure measurements on the fixed PV module setup under systematically varying regular wave loads, (ii) the survivability of the panels under these conditions, and (iii) a comparison of these pressures with those recorded in the floating setup. The results show that the fixed setup provides a conservative basis for certification procedures, with measured pressure loads up to ten times higher than those observed on the PV-panels during the floating tests.

Keywords: offshore renewable energy, floating solar platforms, PV modules, experimental, pressure, wave-structure interaction

 

Presenting Author: Vera Hengelmolen Deltares

Presenting Author Biography: Vera Hengelmolen is an advisor and researcher at Deltares, where she works on projects related to hydrodynamics and offshore technologies to help accelerating the energy transition. She holds a MSc in Maritime Engineering from the Delft University of Technology and looks forward to engaging with the international offshore engineering community at OMAE 20206.

Authors:

Vera Hengelmolen Deltares
Mike Van Meerkerk Deltares
Arne Van Der Hout Deltares
Miguel Anton Aguilar Oceans of Energy