Building a solar panel support structure with wood/fiberglass /epoxy

Well, since you asked! As for using wood/fiber composites instead of aluminum bar, for Jezebel, I went with a composite structure and executed it to its most absurd conclusion.

For her rear radar/antenna tower which I wanted to be nicely curved, crazy light, strong and durable beyond my own lifetime (also functioning as a luggage rack), very low profile, and hollow for multiple cable runs, I did composite wood and carbon fiber. Her vertical sections are mostly 0.9" carbon fiber tubes (for cable runs) sandwiched inside white oak, with a woven CF sleeve vacuum processed around them. The primary horizontal members were made similarly, and her trusses are solid western red cedar or mahogany with a CF sleeve vacuum processed around them. The vertical tower pieces were notched with a router to accept the horizontal members, and then joints were mildly reinforced with thin glass. No screws were used to assemble the structure, just lapjoints, epoxy, glass and dowels. The radar mount on top is western red cedar and fiberglass, and hollow with an access hatch on the starboard side. There's also a few small flush access hatches at points where the thick radar cable has to make a 90 degree turn in the internal channel so it can be installed without needing to be cut.

I didn't weigh it but I'd estimate the total weight of the structure to be maybe 15lbs and thickest portions are 1"x1.5". I can do chin-ups off it with zero deflection but under G forces I wouldn't put my weight on it. Pushing sideways against the top corners it will deflect and spring back a little but in actual use it shouldn't regularly be subject to that kind of force vector. If it turns out I'm wrong on that and it bounces and wobbles I'll add diagonal braces. The tower is not bolted on but actually goes through the rear decking to the depth of the outwales and is permanently bonded to the hull with epoxy and through hull dowels.

The attached files are not final but to get the tower perfectly smooth, faired, etc--in addition to the build time--was countless hours.

 

I’ve decided to go a different way and build a large solar hardtop from carbon fiber beams and glass solar panels.
The beams will be 150mm x 50mm rectangle sections , with PVC foam core .
Laminate will be 450gr dbias and 450gr unidirectional for most , however additional uni will be used on the vertical posts and main load bearing horizontal beams which support the longitudinal beams.
Aluminium framed glass solar panels will be edge bolted between longitudinal beams so the top surface is flush. Solid glass inserts will be provided inside the beams so the bolts can be tapped into the beam walls.

the beams will be laid up in these 2 half molds which are under construction. The foam core will be glued in, along with any inserts and cable conduits , then the 2 halves brought together with the 50mm edges overlapping as the bonding flanges .

If you’re gonna do something , do it once and do it right !

 

I agree and I am intensely interested in this , and your previous post on page 3 ... more when convenient please

 

Hi mate - I’ll be updating about all this on my build thread here ;

60ft eX race yacht to cruiser conversion. https://www.boatdesign.net/threads/60ft-ex-race-yacht-to-cruiser-conversion.68399/