Solar Road Studs Common Problems and Solutions

In the intelligent transportation system, solar road studs have become an important facility to enhance road safety by virtue of the advantages of no external power supply, convenient installation, and active illumination at night. However, affected by environmental factors and product quality, solar road studs in the actual application of a variety of failures may occur, not only affect the use of the effect, but also may lead to potential safety hazards. This article will analyze the six common problems, combined with technical principles and practical experience, to provide scientific and effective solutions for practitioners and purchasers to provide reference.
 

6 Common Problems and Solutions of Solar road stud 

Insufficient charging in rainy weather

Problem performance:

Solar road studs rely on sunlight to charge the built-in battery. In rainy, foggy areas or winter, the length and intensity of light is insufficient, easy to lead to the battery can not be full, the luminous brightness at night to reduce or even completely extinguished, especially when it rains for more than three consecutive days, the probability of failure rises significantly.
 

Core reasons:

• Solar panel conversion efficiency is low, ordinary panels in low light power generation capacity is insufficient;
• Battery capacity is small, energy storage can not support a long period of time without light environment;
• Panel surface accumulation of ash, bird droppings and other obstructions to further weaken the charging efficiency.
   

Solution:

• Hardware Upgrade: Choose high-efficiency monocrystalline solar panels, whose conversion efficiency in low-light environment is 30% higher than that of polycrystalline panels, which can maintain basic charging even on cloudy days.
• Optimize energy storage: Configure more than 1200mAh high-capacity lithium batteries, which can store more power to meet the nighttime lighting needs of 3-5 consecutive days of cloudy and rainy weather.
• Maintenance Points: Clean the panel quarterly with a soft cloth and neutral cleaner to avoid stains blocking the light. In rainy areas, the cleaning cycle can be shortened to once a month.
   

Water Ingress and Moisture

Problem manifestation:

In heavy rain, waterlogged road or long-term high humidity environment, if the road stud is not sealed properly, water vapor will penetrate into the interior, resulting in short circuit, corrosion of components, or even damage to the LED light beads. In serious cases, the road stud may lose its function due to internal corrosion.
 

Core scenario:

• Insufficient IP rating (e.g. lower than IP67);
• Gap between the base and road surface during installation, or aging off of the sealing ring.
   

Solution:

• Selection criteria: Priority is given to IP68 rated waterproof studs, which can withstand immersion in 1 meter of water for 24 hours, suitable for rainy and coastal areas.
• Installation standard: Use silicone sealant to fill the edge of the base to ensure a seamless fit with the road surface, to avoid rainwater infiltration from the gap.
• Regular inspection: check the elasticity of the sealing ring every six months, and replace it in time when hardening and cracking are found to prevent sealing failure.
   

Compressive strength does not meet the standard

Problem performance:

After vehicle crushing, the road studs appear to be broken, fall off or the upper and lower parts are separated, especially the road sections where heavy trucks pass frequently are more prominent. Part of the product due to hollow inner cavity or screw structure defects, impact resistance is not enough.
 

Typical reasons:

• Hollow cavity design leads to deformation when subjected to force, and the LED lampshade may also be ruptured due to the fragile structure;
• The number of ground screws is small, small specifications, and cannot withstand continuous crushing, resulting in the top falling off.
   

Solution:

• Structural optimization: Choose the studs with solid cavity and reinforcement design, and verify the impact resistance through the “steel ball drop test” (1-meter height steel ball impact vertically, no breakage of the lampshade).
• Screwless installation: Light traffic sections can be fixed with full adhesive to avoid the risk of screw loosening; Heavy traffic sections are recommended to use ≥ 4 screws of M6 specifications, with metal spacers to enhance the stability.
• Material upgrading: the shell is made of modified PC/ABS composite material, the compression resistance value can reach more than 20 tons, which meets the needs of urban main roads.
   

Dust and Debris Accumulation

Problem performance:

In construction sections, desert areas, or areas with dense vegetation, the solar road stud panel is easily covered by dust, fallen leaves, and mud, resulting in a decrease of charging efficiency by more than 50%, or even a complete loss of power generation capacity.
 

Scenarios:

• Highway service area (vehicles bring up dust);
• Suburban roads (accumulation of fallen leaves);
• Mining area surrounding (high dust concentration).
   

Solution:

• Active Cleaning: Establish a quarterly cleaning program, using high-pressure water guns or air pumps to blow the panels; dusty areas can be cleaned once a month.
• Technological innovation: choose self-cleaning panels with nano-titanium dioxide coating on the surface, using photocatalytic decomposition of stains to reduce the frequency of manual maintenance.
• Structural design: 15° tilted panel design, so that rainwater naturally washes away stains, while reducing the probability of dust retention.
   

Physical Damage and Human Damage

Problems:

Heavy vehicle crushing may cause the stud shell to break and the LED beads to fall off; human knocking, theft and other behaviors can also cause functional failure, especially in the lack of monitoring of the road is more likely to happen.
 

Core pain points:

• Traditional plastic shell impact resistance is insufficient;
• Exposed screw holes are easy to be removed by tools.
   

Solution:

• Material Upgrade: Adopting aerospace-grade aluminum-magnesium alloy or polymer elastic material, the impact strength is increased by 40%, which can withstand truck crushing.
• Embedded installation: make the surface of the road stud lower than the road surface 5-8mm, use the road surface structure to disperse the impact and reduce the direct impact damage.
• Anti-vandalism design: Hidden screw holes and anti-theft clips are used, while surveillance cameras are installed on accident-prone roads to deter vandalism.
   

LED Light-Emitting Abnormalities

Problem performance:

• shortened working hours: less than 8 hours of lighting time at night after a full charge;
• lack of brightness: the visual distance is less than 50 meters, the warning effect is reduced;
• flashing or off: poor circuit contact leads to unstable light emission.
   

Troubleshooting:

• solar controller wiring error or aging components, resulting in abnormal charging and discharging;
• solar panels used for more than 5 years, the power attenuation of more than 20% (is a normal aging);
• LED lampshade dust or spring contacts oxidation, affecting the conductive properties.
   

Solution steps:

• Have the controller wiring rechecked by a professional to ensure that the positive and negative poles are connected correctly, and replace the aging components;
• Use alcohol cotton balls to clean the inside of the LED lampshade and spring contacts to restore smooth conductivity;
• When it is cloudy and rainy for more than 3 consecutive days, the road studneeds natural light to charge and recover, avoiding frequent manual intervention.

Solar Road Stud Selection and Maintenance Guide

Selection Key Indicators and Testing Methods

Full-Cycle Maintenance Program

Daily inspection: visually check the appearance of the dowel for completeness and uniformity of luminescence every month, and mark for replacement in case of breakage.

Quarterly maintenance: clean the panel and LED lens, use a multimeter to detect the battery voltage (normal range 3.2-3.7V), below 3V need to charge or replace the battery.

Annual maintenance: Comprehensive testing of circuitry, sealing performance and screw tightness by professional team, replacement of aging seals and connecting wires to ensure stable performance of the road stud.
 

Application Scenarios and Selection Suggestions

High-Traffic Trunk Roads:

Choose heavy-duty road studs with pressure resistance of more than 25 tons and IP68 waterproofing, and use embedded installation to reduce the impact of vehicle crushing.
 

Foggy/Rainy Areas:

Prioritize the configuration of high-efficiency solar panels and high-capacity batteries, and it is recommended to increase the automatic light control module to intelligently adjust the luminous intensity according to the environmental brightness.
 

Landscape Road/Sidewalk:

Optional decorative studs with colorful shells and self-cleaning panels to reduce maintenance frequency while enhancing aesthetics.
 

Accident-Prone Road Sections:

Brightness ≥ 3000mcd LED road studs, with reflective film, to enhance the night warning effect, reduce tailgating and lane departure accidents.
 

Conclusion

The stable operation of solar road studs depends on the synergy of high-quality products, standardized installation and scientific maintenance. Purchasers need to pay attention to product quality inspection reports (such as steel ball impact test, IP rating certification), to avoid the use of low-quality products due to greedy cheap. The maintenance side should establish a standardized inspection process to nip problems in the bud. With the progress of technology, the new self-cleaning, high toughness road stud is gradually popularized, the future of solar-powered road stud will play a more important role in intelligent transportation.