Abstract
In tower-concentrated solar power plants, heliostats are typically anchored through freestanding columnar pylon systems across planar terrains. These mirror assemblies sustain significant wind-induced dynamic loads during operation, resulting in critical mechanical responses within their support structures. This study conducts a systematic investigation into the stochastic distribution characteristics of mechanical parameters in heliostat support systems through multi-condition numerical simulations. By developing intelligent optimization algorithm models such as Dung Beetle Optimizer (DBO), we achieve efficient computation of kurtosis and skewness coefficients for force parameters, with model performance rigorously evaluated through key metrics. The operational conditions are classified into Gaussian/non-Gaussian distribution categories based on computational results and established criteria, elucidating the fundamental mechanisms underlying Gaussian and non-Gaussian force characteristics in support structures under specific working conditions. These findings provide theoretical guidance for optimizing wind-resistant structural design frameworks.
Data availability
All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article.
Abbreviations
- α:
-
Ground roughness exponent
- CFx :
-
Drag coefficient
- CFy :
-
Side force coefficient
- CFz :
-
Lift coefficient
- CMx :
-
Side moment coefficient
- CMy :
-
Base overturning moment coefficient
- CMz :
-
Azimuth moment coefficient
- Csk :
-
Skewness coefficient
- Cku :
-
kurtosis coefficient
- Fx :
-
Drag force
- My :
-
Base overturning moment force
- Fz :
-
Lift force
- NG:
-
Non-gaussian
- G:
-
Gaussian
- DBO:
-
Dung beetle optimization
- BP:
-
Back propagation
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Funding
Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (No. 2024JJ9059), Changsha Municipal Natural Science Foundation(No.kq2208429).China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2024M753068),Scientific Research Fund of Hunan Provincial Education Department(No.23C0364).
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Concept and design: Yu Liang. Drafting of the article: Haiyin Luo. Study supervision: Qiwei Xiong , Xuewen Zhang. All the authors approved the final article.
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Luo, H., Liang, Y., Xiong, Q. et al. Dung beetle optimization for probabilistic force analysis of heliostat support structures. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-38236-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-38236-w
