IDEEMATEC Solar Trackers are engineered to withstand the harshest wind, snow, and seismic loads. Leveraging highly automated workflows, our vertically integrated software for FEM (Finite Element Method) and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) to design the optimized solar tracker structure for PV projects.
The design process starts with defining the tracker geometry based on the PV-module dimensions, string length, and ground clearance. After these initial design steps, the natural frequencies for torsional and bending modes are calculated, and the aeroelastic stability is verified. Dynamic wind loads based on wind tunnel tests are used to simulate real-world stresses and strengths of the global tracker model as well as detailed FEM models.
Our engineers validate displacement and stress results against national standards and design regulatory requirements. Multiple design iterations are necessary to achieve optimized results when combining the calculated input parameters.
Leveraging these deep insights, IDEEMATEC's engineering team has pioneered the automation of high-speed design workflows, positioning us at the forefront of simulation engineering technology.
The premier service provider of aeroelastic wind tunnel tests, CPP Wind Engineering, tests IDEEMATEC Solar Trackers designs for aeroelastic stability in their wind tunnel laboratories in Sydney, Australia.
These aeroelastic wind tunnel tests determine each tracker's tilt angle's critical wind speed (Ucr). Once the critical wind speed has been exceeded, the solar tracker loses its stability and vibrates, escalating to torsional twisting around the main carrier. The vibration amplitudes increase rapidly within a couple of cycles, leading to torsional galloping and flutter, which are the failure scenarios that can lead to total failure of the structure. Mitigating vibration is the core of the structural design to ensure the stability of the solar tracker, which is accomplished by shifting the critical wind speed above the design wind speed of the site (Ucr > Usite).
The most recent aeroelastic wind tunnel tests for the IDEEMATEC L:TEC 1P have proven that our patented locking technology perfectly suits high-wind scenarios.
With the possibility of locking the tracker at several points and decreasing the span lengths using one-string tables, the L:TEC 1P's aerodynamic stability is easily optimized for each project.
Our engineers test IDEEMATEC Solar Trackers using state-of-the-art measurement devices in our in-house laboratories for mechanical strength and functionality.
Testing regimes include full-scale free-vibration tests, screw connection tests, post-buckling tests, as well as maximum load tests on driveshafts and bearings; these exhaustive tests determine the maximum capacity, natural frequencies, damping ratios, validate simulation results, and optimize the L:TEC system design where required.
IDEEMATEC's holistic design and testing strategy is built for accuracy and efficiency, ensuring the most secure, pinpoint-accurate, and longest-lasting design tracker on the market.