Concept Design of a Solar Charging Station for Retrofitted Electric Buses employed as Intercampus Shuttle
11TH CIGRE Southern Africa Regional Conference | CSIR International Convention Centre | Pretoria, South Africa | 24 – 27 October 2023
12 Pages Posted: 20 Dec 2024 Last revised: 21 Dec 2024
Date Written: April 07, 2023
Abstract
This paper embodies a practical concept design of a solar charging station that seeks to aid the ambitions of the university as it transitions to clean renewable energy. Desktop simulations were run to test and evaluate the practicality of the space on grounds of solar design considering its solar aptitude, spatial design on grounds of electric bus capacity and its manoeuvrability to eliminate collisions and modelling the charging operation. To achieve this, the site of choice was studied and applied spatial analysis and design using Google Earth Pro. Spatial design was further applied to model the steel frame structure of the charging facility using Advance Steel, and explored to design the bus parking bay, that was further applied vehicle tracking to simulate for collisions and for emergency using Civil 3D. The result of the concept solar charging facility is an output of 36kWp for 61,80MWh annual energy production. This level of output passes the design constraints criteria for charging stations. Vehicle tracking tests on the grounds of spatial design and safety shows that, in a worst-case scenario, three buses can exit the station at once within 25.5 seconds and two are able to simultaneously reach the road within 127 seconds without collisions for emergency exit. An economic aspect is added to evaluate the feasibility of the concept study, providing financial gain / loss insights for an ideal day on winter and summer. Future work is focused on detailed modelling of the time-based energy demands of the buses, having considered AC versus DC charging options and the optimisation thereof. Further research can also explore engineering financial models for the charging facility considering the full financial investment and return plan with benefits from the project. A structural integrity study is recommended for the steel frame structure, and the employment of an AI-powered system is key for an effective upscaling in the future.
Keywords: Electric Buses, EV Retrofitting, Solar Charging Station, Vehicle Tracking
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