Session: 09-04-02: Floating Solar Energy 2

Paper Number: 125822

125822 - Model Tests of a 12 by 18 Floating Solar Array Under Regular Wave Conditions 

Floating solar has appeared as an emerging technology in the global renewable energy portfolio. Although several floating solar concepts have been proposed in the past, most of them are well-suited for deployment in inland or near-shore water bodies with benign environmental conditions. To address the need for sustainable and cost-effective floating solar energy production in offshore areas, a novel modular floating photovoltaic concept suitable for offshore environmental conditions has very recently been proposed in (Jiang et al. 2023). The concept proposes the use of semi-submersible floats for individual modules and crisscrossed rope connections to join neighouring modules. Based on the conceptual design, this paper presents the experimental investigation of a 12 by 18 array with 216 floats in regular waves under both operational and survival conditions. First, we describe the model test set-up, the physical models of the simplified floats, the environmental conditions, and the sensor instrumentation and measurement. Then, selected time histories of the array motions are analysed. It is observed that the tested large array has good motion performance with limited wave overtopping. Finally, limitations of and lessons learned from the model tests are summarised. This paper paves the way for the next-stage research and development of the floating solar concept for harsh offshore conditions.

Presenting Author: Zhiyu Jiang University of Agder

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Zhiyu Jiang is currently an Associate Professor of Structural Engineering at University of Agder, Norway. He obtained his PhD in 2014 and has research interests in marine strucures. He is the research group leader of "Engineering Structures" at University of Agder.

Authors:

Zhiyu Jiang University of Agder
Jian Dai Oslo Metropolitan University
Simone Saettone Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Antonio Souto-Iglesias Universidad Politécnica de Madrid