Road Barrier Illumination for Fog Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Road safety barriers lack adequate illumination in foggy conditions, leading to poor visibility and increased risk of accidents, as traditional lighting methods are expensive and inefficient, and vehicle headlights insufficient for illuminating the carriageway and signage.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a road safety barrier with integrated fog density detecting devices and photovoltaic-powered light sources that activate only in thick fog conditions, providing a collimated light beam to illuminate the carriageway and signage, reducing the need for lamp posts and electrical cabling, and allowing drivers to anticipate fog banks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If traditional lighting methods (lamp posts with electrical cabling) are used to illuminate the carriageway, then visibility during foggy conditions is improved, but installation cost and infrastructure complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the road safety barrier structure with integrated light sources and photovoltaic panels, merging multiple functions (safety barrier, illumination, power generation) into a single system. This eliminates the need for separate lamp posts and electrical cabling infrastructure while providing fog condition illumination.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses photovoltaic panels to generate electrical energy autonomously, powering the light sources without requiring connection to the national grid. This self-powered approach eliminates complex electrical infrastructure while maintaining illumination capability during foggy conditions.
2Ease of manufacture
If vehicle headlights are used to illuminate the carriageway, then installation cost is reduced, but illumination coverage is insufficient for signage and distant visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination system is segmented into multiple discrete light sources distributed along the road safety barrier at specific intervals. This segmentation provides comprehensive coverage of the carriageway and signage areas, overcoming the limited coverage of single vehicle headlights while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
3Reliability
If light sources are activated continuously to ensure visibility, then driver safety is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination system dynamically adjusts its operation based on detected fog conditions. The control unit activates light sources only when fog is detected by the detecting device, transitioning between active and inactive states according to environmental conditions, thereby maintaining safety while minimizing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic detection of fog conditions and activates illumination only during periods when fog is present. This periodic operation pattern ensures driver safety during hazardous conditions while avoiding continuous energy consumption during clear weather.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enhances driver visibility and safety by providing targeted illumination of the carriageway and signage during fog, reducing the risk of accidents and eliminating the need for extensive electrical infrastructure, while conserving energy by using photovoltaic power.
Implementation Method 1
supplying the light sources of the plurality of light sources by means of photovoltaic panels
Implementation Method 2
The light beam, having a transversal direction to the extension axis of the road safety barrier, advantageously succeeds in passing through the bank of fog affecting the carriageway without setting off diffraction phenomena
Data Source
AI summary
A system for illuminating a carriageway in a case of fog includes a road safety barrier arranged along the carriageway, at least one fog density detecting device arranged along the road safety barrier, and a plurality of light sources borne by the road safety barrier, distributed along the road safety barrier, and oriented for each to emit a light beam having a direction that is transversal to an extension axis of the road safety barrier so as to illuminate signage on the carriageway. A control unit that is connected to the light sources and to the fog density detecting device is configured to activate the light sources when the fog density detecting device detects a fog density value of above a threshold value.