Assessing the Structural, Driver and Economic Impacts of Traffic Pole Mounted Wind Power Generator and Solar Panel Hybrid System

® The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the information presented herein. This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation University Transportation Centers Program, in the interest of information exchange. This project evaluates the physical and economic feasibility of using existing traffic infrastructure to mount wind power generators. Some possible places to mount a light weight wind generator and solar panel hybrid system are: i) Traffic signal pole and ii) Street Light pole. Traffic signal poles can themselves have multiple designs depending on type of mount (mast arm vs. span wire) and the width of the intersection (load carried) etc. The close proximity of street light poles and traffic signal poles to the traffic cabinets, which can be used for storing the battery banks, make them good candidates to mount the hybrid system. This project assesses the structural impacts of the hybrid system on different poles listed above. Lincoln standard plans will be used for identifying the pole and foundation design. Structural analysis involves a first principal for wind load analysis and an explicit finite element analysis using LS-Dyna for evaluating fatigue. Methodologies to conduct economic analysis are developed. Economic impacts of the proposed wind power system was evaluated by a before and after study at a test intersection in Lincoln, Nebraska. A cost and benefit analysis was performed to identify the economic efficiency at the test site. 17.