Development of displacement controlled floating power distribution and junction box platform

Abstract

As fossil fuel depletion and global warming increase in conjunction with increased carbon emissions, the use of renewable energy sources including solar photovoltaic generation systems is growing. Floating solar photovoltaic generation systems can increase national land use efficiency. Power conversion devices such as power distribution boxes or junction boxes are installed on a floating body when using a solar photovoltaic generation system. This causes frequent movements of power transformers and can cause solar and junction box DC parallel connection problems and sensitivity to rainfall during the dry and rainy seasons. Because frequent movements have a significant effect on the structure, displacement can be controlled to secure structural safety and prevent damage to power distribution boxes and junction boxes. In this study, a displacement (draft) controlled floating water power distribution-junction box was developed. To ensure stability and structural safety of the platform, buoyancy, and strength of reinforcement alternatives, as well as hydrostatics, were investigated. In addition, to verify the structural safety of ballast changes and environmental conditions of displacement, numerical analysis was performed using the general purpose ANSYS mechanical simulation software. Although there are differences with ballast changes of 0%, 50%, and 100%, the platform has a structural strength margin of more than 56% against allowable stress. Even when crane lifting, a structural strength margin of 85% against allowable stress was achieved.