Cranston, RI – Arden Engineering Constructors (AEC) recently completed a project with Bond Civil & Utility Construction, Inc., U.S. Electrical Services Inc., and ABB E-mobility, building an electric bus charging station for Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) in Cranston.
The new charging stations will serve RIPTA’s R-Line, its busiest bus route connecting Providence and Pawtucket. The fully electric route was designed to lower emissions and reduce thousands of metric tons of greenhouse gases, improving the air quality in the surrounding communities affected by air pollution.
Manifold pipe units for distribution of 120-degree water and glycol mix to outside snow melt tubing
AEC installed four charge poles to support the bus charging control and ABB E-mobility pantograph system. The pantograph charging device lowers from the charge pole mast boom and connects to contact rails on the bus’ roof. The pantograph down-charger can operate up to a 450 kW capacity and is powered by one, two, or three ABB E-mobility Heavy Vehicle Power Cabinets (rated 150 kW each). The stations can charge up to four 40-foot buses.
AEC also engineered and installed an underground radiant snowmelt system for the buses using over 131,403 linear feet of tubing across the driveway and plaza. The water and glycol mix is heated to 120 degrees by two gas-fired high-efficiency condensing boilers in the mechanical room and distributed through six manifold piping units to the bus driveway and plaza areas, keeping the charging station accessible in inclement weather.
Radiant snowmelt tubing being installed underground of the bus driveway
Arden’s sister company, Earthwise Energy Technologies, integrated a Viega snow melt control system, which provides a graphical interface to monitor trending, alarming, and scheduling priority points for the boilers, pumps, building heat, and data room air conditioning.
