EXPERIMENTAL STUDY AND SIMULATION OF UPVC-FRP COMPOSITE FLOATING SYSTEMS FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER STATIONS ON THE WATER SURFACE

Considering the defects and shortcomings of traditional plastic floating systems such as low strength, poor durability and easy to sink, we present a new composite floating system for floating photovoltaic power stations. In the system, the composite floating tube is made of UPVC plastic tubes wrapped with glass fiber reinforced resin matrix composite (FRP) from outside. The manufacturing and installation process were introduced in detail. The mechanical properties of the materials as well as the flat compression and bending properties were experimentally investigated. The composite floating system was optimized by considering its mechanical properties and economy. Furthermore, the hydrodynamic characteristics of the floating system caused by wind, wave and flow were studied based on a fluid-solid coupling numerical simulation method. The results showed that the composite floating system can resist wind, wave and flow safely and reliably. The study provides reference to the choice of the water environment for the selection of applicable composite floating systems.