Near-Ground wind field characteristics of tracking photovoltaic systems based on field measurements

•Conducted near-ground and inter-array wind field measurements at a tracking photovoltaic station over several months.•Identified wind differences at tracking photovoltaic stations, with turbulence notably affected by airborne sand grains.•Investigated near-ground wind coherence and decay in tracking arrays, aiding validation of wind tunnel tests and simulations.•Observed higher decay parameters in Davenport model than Krenk, with significant influence from measurement intervals.•Explored wind flow in tracking arrays, highlighting wind shielding effects influenced by tilt angle and wind speed. The study conducts field measurements at a tracking photovoltaic power station in Zhongwei City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, investigating near-ground incoming wind characteristics, spatial coherence, and their impact on the flow field of the tracking photovoltaic system. Actual measurements indicate a low dispersion degree in the roughness index of this area, with an average roughness index of α = 0.1228, which is consistent with the characteristics of open land and desert areas. The incoming wind speed profile largely complies with European wind load specifications, with turbulence intensity measured at different heights exceeding other wind load specifications, primarily due to increased sand movement contributing to turbulence in desert areas. Additionally, this study proposes calculation formulas for measured turbulence intensity, integration scale, and gust factor, offering valuable insights into the incoming wind field characteristics in this region. Furthermore, the investigation into spatial coherence and decay parameters revealed the superior performance of the Krenk model in high frequency bands and over long distances. Lastly, the tracking photovoltaic array induces noticeable shading effects, altering flow field characteristics significantly, with a diminished impact on wind flow velocity as the tilt angle of the photovoltaic panel decreases. These studies serve as a valuable reference for gaining a deeper understanding of wind field characteristics, wind load calculation, and the optimal design of tracking photovoltaic systems.