What is CPP and why is it important for solar tracker ?
July 23, 2021
CPP （Cermak Peterka Petersen）, the first U.S company to performs wind tunnel testing, computer simulations, and technical analyses to help building owners, architects, and engineers to better understand the wind’s effect on buildings and then can provide more safer, more efficient products.
For solar tracker, it’s vital to be designed to withstand heavy wind loads. It’s known that dynamic aeroelastic is the main effect that impacts solar tracker structures.
Aeroelasticity is the study of the interaction of aerodynamic stress, inertia and elastic response in physical structures. This interaction can produce static and dynamic responses. In some cases, the unstable dynamic response of components may lead to structural failure. Aeroelasticity is usually related to design. When affected by dynamic airflow, the structure should remain stable.
In the era of large-format module, the increase in the length, width, area and weight of the panels puts forward higher requirements on the design of the solar tracker. The increase in the length of the panels will result in an increase in the chord length of solar tracker, aeroelastic changes, and an increase in the height of solar tracker. The increase in width will increase the length of the solar tracker and thus affect its the torsional rigidity. The increase in the area of the panels bring a larger windward area and the static and dynamic load, and thus require larger structural locking force that needs to be matched with solar tracker. The increase in panels weight will reduce the frequency of the system, change the damping, and change the aeroelasticity. At the same time, the height of the solar trakcer increases, which will bring greater lateral load to the foundation column under wind load. In order to study the stability of the solar tracker and improve its reliability, a comprehensive static and dynamic load test is required.
A trustable Solar tracker providers should partner with CPP to develop an advanced method of wind tunnel testing and analysis with enough confidence in both static and dynamic wind effects, which adds allowing it to design tracker systems to reduce the risks posed by high or sustained wind events
Antaisolar’s single-axis solar tracker, both 1-in-portrait tracker and 2-in-portrait tracker are all tested and approved by CPP. Based on CPP’s leadership in understanding the effects of wind on solar collectors, their recommendations can enable Antaisolar designers and engineers to make modifications where needed and ensure the success design of a safe and efficient system. For more details about Antaisolar innovative multi-point drive solar tracker, please click more at:www.antaisolar.com