Dynamic response and safety performance of composite-laminated heliostat under hail impact.

Areas rich in solar energy are prone to strong convective weather, leading to severe hail disasters, which makes heliostats under the threaten of hail impacts. An evaluation model of composite laminated heliostat under hail impacting is established and validated. Subsequently, the effect of interlayer type and thickness ratio on the dynamic response and safety assessment of composite laminated heliostats impacted by hail are investigated. Additionally, the velocity thresholds for hail terminal velocity of composite laminated heliostats with a thickness range of 2–4 mm, based on the optimal thickness ratio, are studied. The results indicate that the maximum principal stress value of the composite laminated heliostat remains similar to that of the single-layer heliostat when the interlayer types are SentryGlas Plus (SGP) and Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB). The maximum principal stresses of single-layer heliostats with thicknesses of 2-4 mm are 2.92, 1.50, and 1.35 times, compared to the first-layer glass of composite laminated heliostat with the same thickness under the optimal thickness ratio, which indicates that the hail resistance of the composite laminated heliostat is superior to that of the single-layer heliostat. The findings offer the guidance for the hail resistance of composite laminated heliostat under hail impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]