Reducing carbon footprint of transportation: development of an optimal energy management system for solar idle reduction

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This project aims to develop and commercialize a novel renewable energy technology, Solar Idling Reduction or SIR, to abate vehicle idling which results in significant economic, environmental, and health concerns. Directly utilizing solar energy and working effectively with other vehicle energy components, such as the engine, alternator, plug-in interface and invertors, SIR technology is superior to other idle reduction technologies, for instance diesel auxiliary power units, automatic engine shutdown, and truck stop electrification. More specifically, this project aims at developing and testing a critical component of SIR technology, namely the energy management system or EMS, which plays an essential role in creating a cost-effective SIR technology with optimal energy efficiency. EMS functions as a mini energy hub within the SIR technology. Its control scheme is a critical factor in determining the overall energy conversion efficiency of SIR, minimizing energy losses and improving cost-effectiveness and consumer acceptance. The outcome of this project is a predictive EMS with optimal performance for SIR applications through hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulations. To achieve the research goal, real-world experimental data for solar energy generation, energy storage system (ESS) operating voltage and current, and driving/load cycles from demonstrated service vehicles will be gathered and analyzed. Topology and component models for a generic solar-powered ESS will then be developed and investigated to suggest the best architecture and optimized component designs. The optimum EMS developed and tested during this project will create SIR technology that helps significantly reduce the carbon footprint and air pollution of service vehicles while improving their fuel efficiency. Meanwhile, the engine idling will be eliminated, allowing fleets to save fuel and be compliant with anti-idle laws. The successful development of SIR technology will bring about great economic and social benefits to Canada.