Aeroelastic simulation of the wind-excited torsional vibration of a parabolic trough solar collector

We investigate the wind-excited torsional vibration of a parabolic trough solar collector using large eddy simulation. Past studies of wind loads on parabolic trough solar collectors have used rigid models, thereby neglecting possible feedback effects of structural motion on wind loads. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to assess the extent to which feedback effects of the structural motion on aerodynamic loading can affect the response. To this end, we perform both one-way and two-way coupled fluid-structure interaction simulations corresponding to rigid and aeroelastic models, respectively. In both cases, the collector is exposed to realistic time-varying wind gusts in order to account for their effect on the flow instabilities around the structure. Comprehensive data obtained by numerical simulation is analyzed to provide new insight into the transient flow behavior around a collector and its interaction with the torsional vibration. We show that significant self-excited vibrations can occur for certain pitch angles. The onset of self-excited vibrations coincides with the synchronization of the vortex shedding process with the torsional vibration of the collector.