Solar Powered Trailer Amplification System (STAS)

With the trucking industry producing 26% of the transportation industry’s carbon emissions, there is currently no significant emphasis on making the trucking industry green as opposed to cars. STAS (Solar Powered Trailer Amplification System) is designed to do just that, create a solution to advance the trucking industry toward greener energy. It uses an intelligent trailer and the Tesla Semi-Truck development data to create a greener solution. The “smart trailer” consists of solar panels that automatically adjust towards the sun for maximum efficiency. With that, calculations are performed to determine how much adding these panels increases the range of the electric truck, which is one of the main problems why electric semi-trucks have not been fully commercialized yet. Whether or not it is worth the added cost and weight to try and get a little more range can affect the use of electric semi-trucks. A route studied is from Newark, NJ, to Toronto, Canada, and how, without the proposed “smart trailer,” the driver would have to stop and recharge due to the current electric semi-trucks not having enough range to complete the journey on one charge. However, the panels and STAS can make the trip non-stop. The significance of this plays into the fact that a little more range can save time and money for a trucking company, leading to more trucking companies being more incentivized to adapt to electric semi-trucks. Furthermore, adding STAS to the trucking industry exponentially increases the amount of fuel saved and cleans emissions.

Supplies

• 1 Arduino Uno Microcontroller
• 1 Prototype Expansion Board
• 1 Micro Servo
• 2 160mm x 70mm 200mA @ 7.2V Solar Panels
• 2 LCD1602
• 2 Photoresistors
• 2 330R Resistors
• 2 100R Resistors
• 2 150R Resistors
• 20 Popsicle Sticks
• 20 Gauge Wire
• 1 Stainless Steel 10mm diameter 15in shaft
• 4 3D printed Components (ABS)
• 1 Model Trailer  

Step 1: Perform Calculations

Calculations were performed to prove the potential impact of the project by analyzing the cost-effectiveness of a specific route from Newark, NJ to Toronto, Canada, in addition to saved carbon emissions.

Step 2: Design the Prototype

A sketch and CAD model were created to design the Prototype.

• Autodesk Fusion 360 was used to create a 1:1 scale model of a 53ft trailer and an apparatus for the STAS system. Renders were able to be created using Fusion 360's rendering capability.

• For the prototype, a Servo attached to a linkage would be able to manipulate the solar panels mounted onto a shaft towards the sun to achieve an optimal solar panel angle.

Step 3: Design the Schematic

Tinkercad and EasyEDA were used to create a circuit schematic for the prototype.

• The Arduino Uno's digital pins were mainly used for the LCD screens and the servo. The analog pins were used to collect photoresistor and solar panel values.

Step 4: Breadboarding

After the development of the Schematic, multiple breadboard circuits were created to ensure the working condition of the circuit. Additionally, this process allowed for the beginnings of planning out the wiring organization that would go onto the final proto-extension board.

Step 5: Code

Developed a code that uses the photoresistors to manipulate the micro servo by turning it in a direction based on the amount of sunlight gathered and be able to output voltage readings from solar panels.

• The code uses an analog read feature to interpret an analog value that ranges from 0 to 1023. Using a formula to convert that analog value allows for a voltage value of the solar panels to be displayed.

• The code takes the difference in the analog value of the two photoresistors and then moves the servo accordingly. These analog values are displayed along with the voltage values of the solar panels.

Step 6: Soldering the Expansion Board (Final Circuit)

The final circuit was developed and organized using a prototype extension board for the Arduino Uno. This gave the circuit structure in that the Arduino Uno could be easily removed while the circuit would remain intact on the proto-extension board.

Step 7: Putting the Pieces Together

Assembling the final circuit and model truck.

Step 8: Final Product (Prototype1)

Step 9: Video Presentation

Step 10: Future Modifications

Potential Modifications that should be considered prior to the application of STAS in the trucking industry would be:

• Move the Motor Location to directly spin the shaft or use a belt.

• Rather than using a rotating shaft, utilize an accordion-style linkage that would allow for a better range of motion for the solar panels and provides a flusher fit to the trailer.

• Extend the wind deflector to minimize drag from the added STAS components to the trailer roof. 

• Research additional solutions, such as possibly dedicating a highway lane to add power lines to develop a charging concept similar to how electric trains operate.