Review of Power Sources for Alaska DOT&PF Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS): Phase I

This report documents the findings related to a review of power sources for six off-grid Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) in Alaska. Various power sources were reviewed as a means of reliably operating the off-grid RWIS sites throughout the year. Based on information collected on current power sources and equipment used at the off-grid RWIS sites, and visits to off-grid installations in Alaska, some viable methods of reliable operation were discovered. Power sources included in the study were solar photovoltaics (PV), small wind turbines, fuel cells, and thermoelectric generators, all charging a battery bank which powers the weather sensors, cameras, and communication equipment. The results showed that while solar PV provides enough standalone power to keep the sites operational from early spring to late fall with wind supplementing this somewhat during the transition seasons, a fossil fuel based source is necessary to maintain operation through the winter. These findings suggest that a combination of power sources is required for reliable RWIS operation throughout the year and is dependent on the location of the site.Cover Photo Description and Credits ............................................................................................ iii Notice, Quality Assurance Statement, and Author’s Disclaimer ................................................... iv SI* (MODERN METRIC) CONVERSION FACTORS ................................................................ v Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. viii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. ix Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ xi Summary of Findings ................................................................................................................... xiii CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION AND RESEARCH APPROACH ............................................ 1 Problem Statement and Research Objective ............................................................................... 1 Scope of Study ............................................................................................................................ 1 Research Approach ..................................................................................................................... 2 Power Source, Cameras, Weather Sensors, and Communication Equipment Evaluation Method ........................................................................................................................................ 3 CHAPTER 2 - FINDINGS ............................................................................................................. 4 Current Power Sources, Cameras, Weather Sensors, and Communication Equipment at Off- Grid RWIS Sites ......................................................................................................................... 4 Current Power Sources ........................................................................................................... 4 Current Cameras, Weather Sensors, and Communication Equipment ................................... 5 State-of-the-Art Power Sources, Weather Sensors, Cameras, and Communication Equipment for Off-Grid RWIS Sites ............................................................................................................. 6 State-of-the-Art Power Sources .............................................................................................. 6 Thin Film Solar PV ............................................................................................................. 7 Harsh Weather Wind Turbines ........................................................................................... 7 Fuel Cells and Thermoelectric Generators ......................................................................... 8 FAA Off-Grid Meteorological Module .............................................................................. 9 State-of-the-Art Cameras, Weather Sensors, and Communication Equipment .................... 10 Mobotix M24 Cameras ..................................................................................................... 11 Airlink Raven X V4221 3G Modem ................................................................................. 11 Power Generation and Demand Analysis ................................................................................. 12 Power Generation Analysis ................................................................................................... 12 Solar PV ............................................................................................................................ 12 Wind Turbine .................................................................................................................... 14 Demand Analysis .................................................................................................................. 16 Turnagain Pass ...................................................................................................................... 16 Power Capacity ................................................................................................................. 16 Demand Analysis .............................................................................................................. 17 Operating Scenarios .......................................................................................................... 24 CHAPTER 3 – RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................... 25 General Recommendations ....................................................................................................... 25 RWIS Power Sources ............................................................................................................ 25 Power Demand of Cameras, Weather Sensors, and Communication Equipment ................ 27 Operating Scenarios for Energy Savings .............................................................................. 27 RWIS Locations .................................................................................................................... 28 Overall Recommendations ........................................................................................................ 28 CHAPTER 4 - CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTED RESEARCH .......................................... 29 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................... 29 Suggested Research .................................................................................................................. 29 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 30 APPENDIX A: RWIS Power Source Specification and Data Sheets ........................................... 31 Marathon Minotaur 2.5 ............................................................................................................. 32 Kyocera 120-1 Solar PV Panels ................................................................................................ 33 Rolls Series 4000 12 V, 275 A-hr deep cycle marine batteries (12 HHG 8DM) ..................... 35 Trojan 8-D AGM Battery (12V, 230 A-hr) .............................................................................. 36 APRS World WT-10 Wind Turbine ......................................................................................... 37 Acumentrics RP500 Fuel Cell .................................................................................................. 39 EFOY 1600 Pro Series Fuel Cell (1st Generation) .................................................................... 41 EFOY 800 Pro Series Fuel Cell (2nd Generation) ..................................................................... 43 Global ThermoElectric Model 5060 Thermoelectric Generator ............................................... 45 APPENDIX B: RWIS Cameras, Weather Sensors, and Communication Equipment Specification and Data Sheets ............................................................................................................................. 47 Cohu ER-8546 Single View Camera ........................................................................................ 49 Cohu 3920 PTZ Camera ........................................................................................................... 52 Mobotix M24 Allaround Camera ............................................................................................. 57 Cantronic CSI-IR Infrared Illuminators .................................................................................... 58 RM Young 05103 Wind Monitor ............................................................................................. 60 SSI Adolf Theis Hygro-Thermo Transmitter ............................................................................ 61 Quixote FP 2000 Pavement Temp Sensor ................................................................................ 62 SSI Thermoscan 1000 Pavement Temp Sensor ........................................................................ 63 MRC Temperature Data Probe TP101 ...................................................................................... 64 SSI Hawk Eye Optical Infrared Y/N Precipitation Sensor ....................................................... 65 Judd Ultrasonic Snow Depth Sensor ........................................................................................ 66 Nova Lynx 260-2501 Rain Gauge ............................................................................................ 67 Vaisala PWD12 ......................................................................................................................... 68 Decibel Products DB498 Directional Antenna ......................................................................... 72 APPENDIX C: Demand Analysis Results for RWIS Sites .......................................................... 7