An international research team has developed a tracker-based rooftop PV system that can be installed on both new and existing stadiums. The proposed design reportedly allows for easier implementation and delivers higher power compared to conventional stadium PV covers.
A group of researchers led by the University of Salerno in Italy has developed a deployable tensegrity roof structure for tracker-based photovoltaic applications.
“In our new research, we have presented a new solar roof module for sports stadiums with sun tracking capabilities, which can be used both for the design of new solar stadiums and for the retrofitting of existing stadiums,” the study’s corresponding author, Fernando Fraternali, told pv magazinenoting that the PV system design builds on previous research published in March, where the scientists proposed a sun-tracking PV system design for stadium covers that would provide both strong structural response and high energy yield compared to systems based on solid structures.
“While previous work examined the mechanical behavior of a tensegrity structure for the roof of a solar stadium in its undeployed configuration, the current study examines its performance in the deployed state, with a particular focus on the response to wind-induced forces and vibration modes,” they explained. “The sun tracking mechanism allows the adjustment of individual tilt angles for the different roof modules that make up the stadium roof, which is an advancement over the concept introduced in the previous study.”
Thanks to a deployable tensegrity architecture that relies on folding and unfolding actuation struts mounted on sliding struts, the proposed roof module can be easily integrated into different roof configurations. It uses a special mounting structure consisting of four supports located under the panels, with the upper ends hinged at four fixed points and connected by a longitudinal beam. In addition, the lower ends are connected to horizontal skids mounted on a second longitudinal beam and powered by a looped bus cable.
Image: University of Salerno
In addition, the bus cable is linked to both an opening and closing cable, each wrapped around an external winch. This arrangement allows the bus cable to move continuously along the guideway when the winch is activated.
“This articulated arrangement offers a technically robust solution for absorbing large rotations at the ends of the struts,” the research group emphasizes. “The upper longitudinal beam is connected to a linear cylindrical hinge that transfers the loads applied to the roof panel directly to the beam.”
The proposed system design is said to require minimal energy as implementation is minimal, thanks to its tensegrity-based design, eliminating the need for pneumatic actuators. Instead, deployment is achieved through simple, winch-driven adjustments to the residual lengths of activation cables.
The researchers ran a series of simulations to compare the system’s performance with that of the 1 MW PV array deployed at Verona’s Bentegodi Stadium. The analysis showed that the tracker-powered system could achieve the same annual power production with just 740 kW.
“Overall, we conclude that the deployable roof system analyzed in the current study shows great potential both for the design of new sports stadiums equipped with efficient sun tracking strategies and for the renovation of existing stadiums aimed at improving their energy performance,” the scientists emphasized.
The new PV system design was introduced in “Deployability, mechanical response and energy harvesting capacity of a new solar roof for sports stadiums”, published in Developments in the built environment.
The team included academics from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Spain, as well as the University of Bologna and the University of Naples in Italy.
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