Pavement Marking Cleaning System With Vacuum Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for cleaning pavement markings are inefficient and require re-painting or re-marking when markings become dull and non-reflective, lacking effective methods to extend their life and reduce economic costs.
Innovation Solution
A pavement marking cleaning system mounted on a vehicle or as a walk-behind unit, utilizing a cleaning hood assembly with adjustable boom and spray arms, delivering pressurized cleaning fluid and vacuum to remove dirt and debris, with adjustable parameters for flow rate, pressure, and temperature, and a flexible skirt to maintain fluid and suction efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If pavement markings are cleaned using conventional methods, then the markings can be restored to reflective condition, but the markings require frequent repainting or re-marking when they become dull
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary cleaning action on pavement markings before they become completely dull and non-reflective. By regularly applying the cleaning system to maintain markings, the full service life is extended and repainting frequency is reduced. The cleaning hood with spray arms delivers cleaning fluid and vacuum continuously as the vehicle moves, preventing the need for frequent repainting operations.
2Productivity
If high-pressure water cleaning is applied to pavement markings, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but environmental concerns arise from water usage and chemical runoff
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the potential harm of high-pressure water cleaning into a benefit by incorporating a vacuum collection system that captures and contains the runoff water and dissolved contaminants. The vacuum hood collects the dirty water and chemicals that would otherwise be discharged into the environment, transforming a harmful waste stream into a contained substance that can be properly disposed of or treated, thereby maintaining cleaning effectiveness while eliminating environmental harm.
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 effectively extends the life of pavement markings by cleaning them efficiently, reducing the need for frequent repainting and re-marking, while maintaining environmental friendliness through the use of high-pressure water and vacuum technology.
Implementation Method 1
delivering pressurized cleaning fluid and vacuum to remove dirt and debris
Implementation Method 2
delivering pressurized cleaning fluid and vacuum to remove dirt and debris
Data Source
AI summary
A system for using a fluid to clean markings on a hard surface includes a cleaning hood operably mounted on wheels for movement across the hard surface with the cleaning hood positioned immediately above the hard surface, a set of a plurality of cleaning arms of a selected length, the cleaning arms mounted for rotation under the cleaning hood and defining a cleaning area swept by the cleaning arms, a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle mounted on one of the plurality of cleaning arms, a cleaning fluid connection carried by the hood, the cleaning fluid connection configured to fluidly connect the nozzles and cleaning arms to a cleaning fluid supply, a vacuum connection carried by the hood, the vacuum connection configured to apply vacuum from a vacuum pump to remove contaminated cleaning fluid from the hard surface to a waste fluid storage tank, and a second set of a plurality of cleaning arms of a second selected length, wherein the plurality of cleaning arms of a selected length may be replaced by the second set of cleaning arms of a second selected length, altering the cleaning area swept by the cleaning arms.