CFD-2D Computational Modeling for Drainage Systems in Photovoltaic Power Plants
Abstract
Drainage design is a key component in photovoltaic plant infrastructure with environmental and economic challenges related to the understanding of the areas to be properly drained. Traditional methods applied to drainage projects related to roads, and urban and agricultural areas, have also been applied for solar farms in Brazil. It can lead to either oversized or insufficient drainage structures, which may add risks to the project's goals. The present study applies the Two-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling CFD-2D to design a drainage system for a solar farm where the results were compared to the traditional Rational Method runoff calculation. The computational modeling method resulted in a 22.54% reduction in the length of gutters compared to the traditional calculation procedure. A significant reduction in the final hydrological volume allocated to the delay reservoirs was also achieved. This means cost reduction, better compliance with the construction schedule, and less environmental impact in the project surrounding areas.
Keywords
photovoltaic plant, drainage system, CFD-2D modeling, HEC-RAS