Structural Safety Assessment of Ocean-Floating Photovoltaic Structure Model

Abstract

In designing photovoltaic (PV) structures made to float in oceans through use of a buoyant system, one must consider wave load and mooring load in addition to the load applied in PV generation systems installed on land. It is also necessary to study the safety of such floating structures during high tide and low tide, focusing on aspects such as mooring conditions caused by large differences in reservoir depth between low and high water levels. This study focuses on finite element analysis and strength assessment of an ocean-floating PV structure. The aims of this study are to suggest a structure for a floating PV buoy with a tidal power plant to be installed in Sihwaho Lake, to analyze its safety, and to propose a suitable structure model for an ocean-floating PV system. As a result of structural analysis and safety assessment of the proposed unit structure, the maximum unity check (UC) value of allowable stress design (ASD) for load conditions with maximum stress was found to be much smaller than the reference value, indicating a sufficient degree of safety. In the structural design of floating PV generation systems, wind and wave loads must be considered in the detailed design of the overall and local structure. A 20 kW ocean-floating PV system was developed in November 2013 based on this study.