February ’24 Project #2 Project Update: Electrified Roadways

Project leads: Khurram Afridi and Marv Halling 

Key Accomplishments for this Quarter:

  • Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) Pilot formally launched
  • Three-phase transmitter/receiver design rated at 230 kW peak completed
  • Visco-elastic properties incorporated into the structural model of the pavement
  • Temperature data at different depths of asphalt mix samples with unmodified binder under different conditions obtained
  • Misalignment detection scheme that utilizes receiver measurements to detect the lateral position of receiver developed
  • Equipment acquired for UAV thermal evaluations of pavements:
    • DJI Matrice 300 RTK drone
    • DJI Zenmuse H20T thermal imaging camera

Innovation and Industry Board (IIB) Highlights:

  • IIB members would be interested in the work we are doing on exploring and evaluating the thermal, structural, and electromagnetic design tradeoffs in dynamic wireless charging systems as this would enable the design of cost effective and long lifetime electrified pavements. 
  • Our pre-pilot pavement testing of a 215-kW dynamic wireless charging system at the Accelerated Pavement Testing (APT) facility in West Lafayette, IN is yielding valuable performance data for electrified roadways under truck traffic conditions. 
  • We are evaluating the interoperability of different topologies for dynamic wireless charging which will enable different classes and types of vehicles to charge from the same electrified roadway infrastructure. 

Advancements in Alleviating Barriers or Challenges to Widespread EV Adoption:

  • Our project is helping reduce the cost of electric vehicles by reducing the size of the onboard batteries and instead delivering power to the electric vehicles (EVs) wirelessly from electrified roadways. The lower cost of EVs will help with their widespread adoption.  
  • We are working on making electrified pavements more durable. This will alleviate transportation department concerns regarding the life of electrified roadways and help with their greater adoption, which in turn will enable greater adoption of EVs.
  • We are working on reducing the cost of the electrified roadways with dynamic wireless charging capability, which will enable widespread deployment of such technology and alleviate EV range anxiety. 

Advancements of Interest to Marginalized or Underserved Communities:

  • Our work on electrified roadways will result in cost reduction of electric vehicles through the use of smaller batteries, which will enable marginalized and underserved communities to own electric vehicles.
  • Our work on longer life and lower costs of electrified roadways will enable this technology to be deployed in all communities, including marginalized and underserved communities.
  • Our work on testing electrified roadways will ensure that such technology is robust and able to serve all communities, including marginalized and underserved communities.