Traffic Signs Outlined by Solar-Powered LEDs (May06-06)

1. Traffic Signs Outlined by Solar-Powered LEDs (May06-06) Team Members: Alex Beecher EE Jason Chose EE Jim Kopaska EE Matt Treska EE Client: Senior Design Faculty Advisors: Professor John Lamont Professor Ralph Patterson III April 24, 2006

2. Presentation Outline Alex Beecher Introductory Material Jason Chose Design Activities Jim Kopaska Technical Approaches Matt Treska Resources and Schedules

3. Definitions DOT - Department of Transportation PV – Photo Voltaic (refers to solar panels) NiMH – Nickel Metal Hydride (type of battery) Pb-SN – Lead-Tin (type of battery) NiCd – Nickel Cadmium (type of battery) NEMA – National Electric Manufacturers Association NREL – Nation Renewable Energy Laboratory

4. Acknowledgments • Thanks to Dr. Dalal for his expertise on solar energy • Thanks to DOT for donating stop sign • Thanks to NREL for email communications pertaining to solar calculations • Thanks to various local electrical companies for donation of parts

5. Problem Statement • Create LED-illuminated traffic signs • Solar-Powered with battery backup • User definable software tool • Produce a more reliable and cost effective design to an existing product

6. Operating Environment • Adverse weather extremes • Outdoor temperature extremes • Road side usage

7. Intended Users • Operators: DOT staff, city officials • End users: motorists, schools, construction zones

8. Intended Uses • Supplemental warning systems for drivers • Immobile: Once installed remains stationary • Location: Roadside applications

9. Assumptions • Signs will dim to match ambient light conditions • Unit shall be operational in the continental 48 states • LED will match background color of signs • Intended user has access to Microsoft Office and can use Excel • Signs will be powered to accommodate abnormal weather patterns

10. Limitations • Cannot account for weather patterns not following historical data • LED flashing rate must be between 50 and 60 times per minute • Unit cannot be protected from all forms of vandalism • Sunlight data used in the software can only be given to a nearest location • Installation shall be governed by appropriate DOT/municipal ordinances • Final product must adhere to all applicable state and federal regulations

11. End Product & Other Deliverables • Prototype • A fully working testable system • Software • A fully functional Excel program for traffic sign selection • Performs calculations for necessary components of a given application

12. Present Accomplishments • Research 100% • Order Parts 100% • Design 100% • Testing 100% • Software Development 100%

13. Approaches Considered Hardware • LEDs • Battery • Solar Panel • Flasher Dimmer Module • Flasher Module • Timer Module • PV Charge Controller

14. Hardware Used • PV Charge Controller • 12V Solar Panel • 55,200mCandella LED Cluster • Flasher Dimmer Module

15. Approaches Considered Software • C++ • Java • Visual Basic • Selection booklet • Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet

16. Software Used • Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet

17. Changes in Project Definition • Hardware component remained unchanged throughout the project • Software component was added and requirements adjusted

18. Research Activities • Project Components

19. Research Activities:PV Charge Controller • Prevents over current and over voltage damage to PV panel, battery, and circuit • Handles battery charging and power distribution to circuitry

20. Research Activities:LED Cluster • LED selection based on operational requirements • 55.2 Cd cluster used on night use only signs • 102.4 Cd cluster used on 24 hour operation signs • Color specific for each sign

21. Research Activities: Flasher Dimmer Module • Ensures flashing rate between 50 and 60 times per minute • Integrated photoresistor allows automatic dimming of LEDs to match ambient light levels

22. Research Activities: Flasher Module • Used on chevron sign in lieu of flasher/dimmer module • Maintains flashing rate between 50 and 60 times/min

23. Research Activities: Timer Module • Used on school crosswalk sign • Allows user defined hours of operation

24. Research Activities: Solar Panel • Utilized on all signs • Operates at 14.2V to provide sufficient energy for 12V system

25. Research Activities: Battery • Operates at 12V and 1.5A • Suitable for use throughout continental U.S.

26. Design Activities • The designs constructed for this project included a stop sign, school cross walk sign, and a chevron curve sign • Only the stop sign was implemented as a prototype • Software design work was also completed and implemented

27. Stop Sign Design

28. School Cross Walk Sign

29. Chevron Curve Sign

30. Software Design

31. Implementation Design • Originally design was only meant for the 3 applications designed above • After completion of software package, made it possible to design any sign the user desired • Physical construction and parts were implemented exactly as previously determined by the project team

32. Testing Activities After sign construction, various characteristics were evaluated: • Physical Integrity was tested to ensure the prototype would stand on its own and properly hold all components • Battery run time was checked by fully charging the battery and running the sign with no sunlight present • Solar sensitivity was tested by operating the sign outside on days with no, light, and heavy overcast • Blinking rate was checked by counting cycles per minute and ensuring it operated within DOT regulations

33. Other Activities • An interesting side to testing found was that varying the light output of a regular incandescent light bulb using a dimmer switch varied the solar power generated by the solar cell

34. Resources and Schedule

35. Task Name Alexander Beecher Jason Chose James Kopaska Matthew Treska Total Hours Select Signs 5 5 5 4 19 Select LEDs 4 20 3 4 31 Determine Electrical Parameters 34 33 42 37 146 Select Solar Panel, Battery, and other Hardware 35 37 39 37 148 Design Circuit 8 9 11 9 37 Plan Construction 17 15 21 16 69 Construct Prototype 30 23 35 28 116 Test and Refine Prototype 32 33 (software) 35 31 131 Finalize Prototype 7 5 (software) 11 3 26 Documentation 18 18 17 19 72 Poster 6 6 6 5 23 Software Development 16 39 21 22 98 Website Creation 15 2 2 2 21 Updating Website 12 1 1 1 15 Total Hours 239 246 249 218 952 Final Personal Effort Chart

36. Item Team Hours Other Hours Cost Stop Sign 8 0 Donated LEDs 13 0 $80.00 Battery 25 0 Donated Solar Panel 28 0 $20.00 Project Poster 21 0 $25.00 Software 24 0 None Mounting Hardware 10 0 $40.00 PV Charge Controller 12 0 $87.50 Flasher/Dimmer 10 0 $57.00 Total 151 0 $334.50 Final Time and Capital Costs

37. Item Cost Without Labor Cost With Labor Parts and Material Items: a. Signs Donated Donated b. LEDs $80.00 $80.00 c. Battery Donated Donated d. Solar Panel $20.00 $20.00 e. Software None $264.00 f. Mounting Hardware $40.00 $40.00 g. Flasher/Dimmer $57.00 $57.00 h. PV Charge Controller $87.50 $87.50 Subtotal $284.50 $548.50 Labor at $11.00 per hour: a. Alex Beecher $2629.00 b. Jason Chose $2706.00 c. Jim Kopaska $2739.00 d. Matt Treska $2398.00 Subtotal $10472.00 Total $11020.50 Final Project Costs

38. Final Project Schedule

39. Final Deliverable Schedule

40. Closure Materials

41. Project Evaluation All initial and additional milestones accomplished • Most part selections met or exceeded design expectations, though some parts were not obtained on time • Construction milestones were mostly met, though the LED mounting deadline was missed due to late parts and inaccessibility to a rivet gun • Testing milestones were well met, though variable testing conditions would have been favorable • Overall, the project well met design parameters and drew out ideas for improvement on future models

42. Commercialization If placed on the market, the sign could be sold at a price between $350 and $400 • Sign parts cost just under $250.00 • One person could construct the sign in four hours • At $11/hour, labor would cost $44.00 • Without software, construction costs $294.00 • Once software is produced, it takes minimal time and resources to reproduce for each customer

43. Additional Work • Since the sign is intended to work across the continental U.S., the prototype would be tested in different locales • Given a larger budget additional technology, such as wireless interfaces, would be added for sign diagnostics and programming specific use events

44. Lessons Learned If the project were to be repeated: • Software design would start earlier • Parts would be ordered earlier • The prototype would be made to a smaller scale • A different sign would be prototyped

45. Risk and Risk Management • Anticipated Risks • Loss of a team member, failure to use technology • Unanticipated Risks • Budget affected part selection • Team member illnesses • Scheduling conflicts • Loss of data due to digital storage failure

46. Closing Summary The goal of the project was to create a traffic device that would save drivers’ lives. This goal was met due to the team’s research into the parts and technology used in the project’s construction, along with constructing a reference program that allows users to obtain a sign catered to their sign’s uses.

47. Demonstration!!!

48. Questions?