Navigable waterway bridge lighting is mandated by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The Corpus Christi District of TxDOT maintains bridges over navigable waterways along and near the gulf coast which require this lighting. Warning systems are frequently in remote areas with difficult access and minimal infrastructure. These sites are solar powered. The district has no way to monitor the operation of these very important systems (solar and lights). District staff are commonly alerted to operational issues by the Coast Guard.
The current field deployments may have opportunities for better, more efficient operation. There may be other options for equipment to add features and to better optimize overall operation. Each component of the system will be reviewed to determine if there are better equipment/solution options readily available in the marketplace.
The deployment locations of these systems are somewhat unique for typical TxDOT operations. The sites are always difficult to access, have space restraints, have harsher environmental conditions (wind, salt spray, etc). These factors should be considered.
The project team assembled a test setup in College Station to evaluate any new devices which would be good upgrades. The district supplied a maritime light as part of the test setup.
After review and experimentation, the project made recommendations for alternate equipment for the solar charge controller and the energy storage system (batteries). The district chose a management solution which easily integration with other equipment the district uses. The next step is to do actual testing in the environment rather than in research conditions.