A tensegrity structure for a solar stadium roof with sun-tracking capability

Abstract

This work presents a tensegrity design approach for a small-to-medium-sized sports stadium, equipped with sun-tracking solar modules on its roof. A novel V-Expander unit is used to create a modular roof structure, with members optimized using a minimal mass strategy. The stability of the entire stadium structure and the deflections of the cantilever roof are analyzed under vertical, seismic, and wind loads through detailed finite element analysis. Electrical power production is estimated over one year for the Salerno area. The results demonstrate that the tensegrity solar roof exhibits limited deflections and remarkable solar energy harvesting capabilities, utilizing sun-tracking strategies tailored to different sectors of the grandstands. This research paves the way for the design of multi-scale sports stadiums featuring sustainable, adaptive lightweight tensegrity structures. These systems employ sun-tracking photovoltaic modules that can be tilted by simply wrapping a bus cable around a winch.