Phase Change Coarse Aggregate for Thermoregulating Pavement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Phase change materials in pavement engineering face issues of abrasion, damage, and reduced energy storage performance due to direct mixing and use in surface layers, which affects the strength and longevity of pavements, especially in permafrost areas where heat absorption leads to subgrade damage.
Innovation Solution
A method for calculating the dosage of phase change coarse aggregate for a thermoregulating cement-stabilized layer, involving regulatory temperature and heat calculations to determine the volume and mixing ratio of phase change coarse aggregate, which is then manufactured using a metal shell to ensure protection from abrasion and maintain energy storage performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If phase change materials are directly mixed into pavement surface layer, then energy storage performance is improved, but abrasion and damage resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The phase change material is nested inside a porous carrier (such as expanded polystyrene beads), creating a core-shell structure where the carrier protects the phase change material from abrasion while the phase change material maintains its energy storage function. This nested structure resolves the contradiction by providing both protection and functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The pavement structure is designed with different properties at different locations: the surface layer contains protected phase change materials in porous carriers, while the underlying layers provide structural support. This local differentiation allows the phase change materials to be protected from abrasion at the surface while maintaining energy storage performance.
2Temperature
If phase change materials are used in surface layer, then heat absorption capability is improved, but susceptibility to abrasion and damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
A porous carrier acts as an intermediary between the phase change material and the external environment (traffic loads). The carrier absorbs the mechanical stress and abrasion, protecting the phase change material inside while allowing the phase change material to continue absorbing heat effectively.
3Productivity
If high-temperature mixing is used in construction, then construction efficiency is improved, but phase change energy storage capacity attenuates rapidly
Solution Approach 1:
The phase change material is pre-encapsulated in porous carriers before being mixed into the pavement. This beforehand protection cushions the phase change material against the harmful effects of high-temperature mixing, preventing rapid attenuation of its energy storage capacity while allowing efficient construction processes to proceed.
4Temperature
If phase change materials are added to pavement, then thermal regulation is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state and form of the phase change material by encapsulating it in porous carriers, transforming it from a raw material into a processed aggregate. This parameter change simplifies the manufacturing process by allowing the phase change material to be mixed as a pre-protected aggregate rather than requiring complex protection during construction.
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 method accurately controls the dosage of phase change coarse aggregate, reducing peak temperatures and preventing heat transfer, thus protecting permafrost subgrades from thermal damage while minimizing material waste and investment costs, ensuring effective energy storage and structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
when the phase transition occurs, it stores a large amount of heat, but its temperature will be essentially unchanged to prevent the heat from being transferred downward
Implementation Method 2
Phase change energy storage is a kind of high-tech technology that can store energy in the form of phase change latent heat with high density
Implementation Method 3
when the ambient temperature rises, the endothermic boundary absorbs heat and reaches the phase transition temperature of the material
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method of calculating the dosage of phase change coarse aggregate, which comprises the steps of setting a regulatory temperature difference of a thermoregulating cement-stabilized layer, the regulatory temperature difference being the difference between the peak temperature of the thermoregulating cement-stabilized layer and the peak temperature of a conventional cement-stabilized layer, wherein the thermoregulating cement-stabilized layer is mixed with a phase change coarse aggregate, while the conventional cement-stabilized layer is not mixed with a phase change coarse aggregate; calculating a regulatory heat based on the regulatory temperature difference, wherein when a temperature change of the conventional cement-stabilized layer is the regulatory temperature difference, a heat change of the conventional cement-stabilized layer is the regulatory heat; and calculating a volume occupied by the phase change coarse aggregate in the thermoregulating cement-stabilized layer based on the regulatory heat.