Improvement of vehicle stability in crosswinds via photovoltaic panels

This article delves into the critical issue of vehicle rollover accidents caused by crosswinds, particularly affecting high-sided vehicles like lorries and trucks. It explores two main categories of control methods: active and passive, with a focus on the innovative use of photovoltaic (PV) panels as a passive control measure. The study presents extensive wind tunnel tests and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to investigate the impact of PV panel parameters, such as tilt angle, height, and distance from the lane, on reducing aerodynamic loads. The findings reveal that PV panels can effectively regulate airflow direction and speed, creating a high-speed zone above the vehicle's center of gravity and a low-speed zone below, thereby mitigating crosswind impact. The article also introduces an optimization framework that considers both aerodynamic load reduction and energy capture efficiency, providing a method for achieving an effective balance between wind mitigation and energy generation. The study concludes with recommendations for optimal PV panel installation parameters and suggests future work on adaptive PV systems for enhanced practical deployment and performance.