A minimal mass deployable structure for solar energy harvesting on water canals

• Published in: Structural and multidisciplinary optimization Vol. 55; no. 2; pp. 449 - 458
• Main Authors: Carpentieri, Gerardo, Skelton, Robert E., Fraternali, Fernando
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.02.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Canals; Complexity; Computational Mathematics and Numerical Analysis; Deployable structures; Electric bridges; Energy harvesting; Engineering; Engineering Design; Maintenance; Optimization; Research Paper; Shading devices; Solar energy; Solar panels; Spacecraft; Stress concentration; Substructures; Technology assessment; Tensegrity structures; Theoretical and Applied Mechanics; Wind loads; Tensegrity structures; Water canals; Solar panels; Minimum mass; Form-finding; Deployable structures; Shading façades

This paper produces a design for a minimal mass, deployable support structure for a solar panel covering of water canals. The results are based upon the minimal mass properties of tensegrity structures. The efficient structure is a tensegrity system which has an optimal complexity (i.e. an optimal n...