SOLAR ROADS: ARE THEY FEASIBLE? - OERA · SOLAR ROADS: ARE THEY FEASIBLE? Andrew Northmore, MASc,...
Transcript of SOLAR ROADS: ARE THEY FEASIBLE? - OERA · SOLAR ROADS: ARE THEY FEASIBLE? Andrew Northmore, MASc,...
SOLAR ROADS: ARE
THEY FEASIBLE?
Andrew Northmore, MASc, EIT
Susan Tighe, PhD, PEng (Presenting)
Sustainable Conservation – Heading for Harmony
Nova Scotia Energy R&D Conference
May 22, 2014
ABOUT CPATT
• A research partnership studying the state of
Canada’s transportation infrastructure
• Heavily focused on emerging and innovative
technologies
SUSTAINABLE PAVEMENTS
• Traditionally achieved in a number of ways
Using recycled materials
Lowering material processing temperatures
Improving other environmental factors
SOLAR ROAD PANELS
Solar Roadways TNO’s SolaRoad
CPATT & SOLAR ROAD PANELS
• Structural pavement design analysis
Modeling and testing panel designs
Optimizing panel bases made of traditional
pavement materials
• Functional pavement design analysis
Accelerated testing facilities for environmental
conditions
Expertise in roadway safety in terms of friction,
glare production, etc.
WHY SOLAR ROAD PANELS?
PAVEMENT PERSPECTIVE
• Offset Traditional Material Requirements
• Provide Additional Payback from
Infrastructure
• Reduce CO2 Footprint of Pavements
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WHY SOLAR ROAD PANELS?
ELECTRICAL PERSPECTIVE
• Vast Resource
• Minimize Land Use
• Distributed Generation
• Peak-Shaving Electricity
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OUR DEFINITION
• Modular solar panels that can withstand the
structural and environmental loads subjected
to pavements
WHAT WE HAVE DONE
• Designed and built a prototype
• Analyzed the prototype structural
performance
• Assessed environmental conditioning and
winter maintenance impacts on transparent
materials
CPATT’S PROTOTYPE
• 2 x 10-mm panes
of tempered glass
• 30-mm GPO-3
fiberglass
• Aluminum frame
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
KEY FINDINGS
• Structural
Prototype design will not fatigue fail
Panel improves the service life of the base it’s
installed on
• Environmental
Glass is the least affected by Canadian winter
conditions, followed by acrylic then
polycarbonate
NEXT STEPS
• Design optimization
• Friction development on a glass surface
• In-situ load testing of a prototype
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
• Norman W. McLeod Chair in Sustainable Pavement Engineering
• University of Waterloo
• En-hui Yang Engineering Research Innovation Award
• Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)
• Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)