METHODS OF REDUCTION OF WIND-INDUCED DYNAMIC RESPONSE IN SOLAR CONCENTRATORS AND OTHER SMALL LIGHTWEIGHT STRUCTURES

RECENT WIND TUNNEL STUDIES ON SOLAR CONCENTRATOR STRUCTURES INDICATE THAT STRUCTURES WITH LOW DAMPING PROPERTIES ARE POTENTIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE SPECTRAL NATURE OF ATMOSPHERIC WIND LOADING. SOLAR CONCENTRATORS ARE SENSITIVE TO DEFLECTIONS IN OPTICAL MOUNTING AND TRACKING SYSTEMS; CONSEQUENTLY, STRUCTURES AND DRIVES WITH SUFFICIENT RIGIDITY TO RESIST DYNAMICALLY INDUCED LOADING WITH MINIMAL DEFLECTIONS ARE COSTLY. THE COST AND PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF SOLAR CONCENTRATORS AND OTHER RELATIVELY SMALL STRUCTURES SUCH AS POWER TRANSMISSION LINE SUPPORTS AND HIGHWAY SIGNS CAN BE IMPROVED THROUGH STRUCTURAL DESIGN APPROACHES THAT REDUCE DYNAMIC RESPONSE. THROUGH THE USE OF FINITE ELEMENT MODELING, PHASE I OF THIS STUDY EVALUATES THE COST AND FUNCTIONAL BENEFIT OF VARIOUS METHODS TO CONTROL DYNAMIC RESPONSE. AMONG THE METHODS TO BE CONSIDERED ARE PASSIVE DAMPING, MULTIPLE SUPPORTS, FRICTION CONNECTIONS, MASS ALTERATIONS, BEAM LENGTH MODIFICATION, AND ALTERNATE MATERIALS SELECTION.