Structural Calculation Subjected to Wind Load of a Solar Parabolic Collector (ANSYS R15.0)

Abstract

This article provides the results of the structural loads caused by the wind of a solar parabolic trough, the calculation of the design and sizing was obtained in an earlier version with the item name “Calculation and Desing Parabolic collector for Steam Generation Using Solar Energy”. The finite element method (FEM) has become very important as alternative to the solution of engineering problems that until recently were virtually impossible to solve by conventional mathematical methods. Currently we have different simulation programs in the structural field, the Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) and the Computer-Aided Design (CAD). ANSYS program (a CAE software) offers solutions for structural load problems and displaying visually where high effort and greater deformation are generated. For this study, we draw and simulate a parabolic collector under high wind load conditions, since that system would be located on the top of a building where these conditions exist. The aim of the research is show that there is no risk of structural collapse for the design, running a simulation before being tested.