Invisible-Light Laser Scanning for Road Black Ice Deicing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for deicing black ice on road surfaces, such as salt water spraying and hot wire burial, face issues like environmental contamination, high installation costs, and inefficiency, while existing laser-based methods struggle with limited reach and effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A system using AI-controlled laser scanners that emit invisible light to deice black ice, equipped with non-contact temperature sensors, weather sensors, and cameras, to selectively radiate laser based on temperature, humidity, and road conditions, ensuring precise and adaptive heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If salt water spray facility is used to deice black ice, then the freezing point of road surface is lowered and ice prevention is achieved, but environmental contamination occurs and infrastructure durability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical deicing methods (salt water spraying) with a physical method (laser irradiation). The laser heating unit emits laser beams to directly heat and melt black ice on the road surface, eliminating the need for chemical substances that cause environmental contamination and infrastructure deterioration while maintaining effective ice prevention
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of black ice by applying localized thermal energy through laser irradiation. By controlling the laser heating parameters (irradiation time, power, scanning speed), the system melts black ice selectively without affecting the surrounding road surface or environment, thus preventing ice while avoiding harmful chemical effects
2Reliability
If hot wire burial method is used to deice black ice, then ice prevention is achieved, but installation cost and energy consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heating function from the road structure itself (hot wire burial) and implements it as a separate, mobile laser heating unit. This external heating device can be positioned and operated only where and when black ice is detected, eliminating the need for permanent infrastructure installation and continuous energy consumption across entire road sections
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses preliminary detection (through sensors or satellite imagery) to identify areas with black ice formation risk before deploying the laser heating unit. This allows targeted intervention only where needed, reducing both installation costs and energy consumption compared to widespread hot wire burial systems that must operate continuously across entire road networks
3Temperature
If conventional laser heating method is used to deice black ice, then ice melting is achieved, but the laser cannot reach the opposite side of the road effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a scanning mechanism that dynamically moves the laser beam across the road surface. By controlling the laser to scan back and forth (similar to a galvanometer system), the heating unit can effectively cover the entire road width including the opposite side, transforming a static limited-range laser into a dynamic wide-area heating system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-point laser heating approach to a two-dimensional scanning pattern. By adding the temporal dimension of scanning motion to the spatial laser beam, the system achieves comprehensive coverage of the road surface, enabling effective heating across the entire road width including areas previously unreachable by conventional laser methods
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
Effectively deices black ice by accurately targeting areas in need, preventing ice formation, and maintaining a long device lifespan with adaptive defrosting measures across various road environments.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of laser scanners that are arranged at intervals along a road, each laser scanner including a light source unit that emits a laser
Implementation Method 2
radiating invisible light such as a laser
Implementation Method 3
a non-contact temperature sensor that measures a temperature of an area in charge of the road surface
Data Source
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AI summary
The system for deicing black ice includes a plurality of laser scanners that are arranged at intervals along a road, each laser scanner including a light source unit, a non-contact temperature sensor, and a control unit that controls an operation of radiating the laser to the area in charge, a weather sensor that measures a temperature and humidity, and an integrated controller that communicates with the plurality of laser scanners. The integrated controller determines whether the laser is radiated to the road surface based on at least one of the measured temperature and humidity, and when the laser radiation is determined, generates a control signal to activate at least one laser scanner, and the control unit determines a heating area, and generates a pulse signal to turn on/off a light source unit so that the laser is radiated in accordance with a shape and range of the heating area.