Pivotable Air Knife System for Road Surface Debris Clearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for clearing road surfaces of contaminants like water and debris are inefficient, leading to reduced tire grip and increased hazards, especially in racing and aviation contexts, and are often slow to dry surfaces, causing prolonged race cancellations and safety issues.
Innovation Solution
A modular road surface clearing system featuring pivotable air knives with adjustable angles and orientations, supported by frames that can articulate to maintain contact with uneven surfaces, and a guide wheel system to ensure close proximity to walls, utilizing pressurized air to effectively sweep contaminants and heat to aid in drying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a single wide air knife assembly is used to clear the entire road surface at once, then the clearing width is maximized, but the system becomes difficult to control and maintain consistent contact with the surface
Solution Approach 1:
The air knife assembly is divided into multiple separate air knives (first air knife and second air knife) that can be independently positioned and controlled. Each air knife has its own frame and mounting mechanism, allowing them to be segmented across the width of the road surface while maintaining individual control for consistent surface contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting plate is made pivotable relative to the frame, allowing dynamic adjustment of the air knife angle and position. This pivoting capability enables each air knife to adapt to surface variations and maintain optimal contact dynamically during operation, rather than being fixed in a static position.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the air knife assembly is made rigid and fixed in position, then structural stability is improved, but the system cannot adapt to uneven road surfaces or maintain close proximity to walls
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates pivotable mounting plates and articulating frames that allow dynamic movement and adjustment. The mounting plate can pivot relative to the frame, and the frame itself can articulate, transforming the rigid structure into a dynamic system that adapts to uneven surfaces while maintaining structural integrity through controlled movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a nested hierarchical structure where the second air knife is mounted on the first frame, which is itself mounted on the first frame structure. This nested arrangement allows multiple levels of articulation and adjustment, with each nested component contributing to the overall adaptability while maintaining structural stability through the hierarchical support system.
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 efficiently clears a wider swath of road surfaces, improving tire grip, reducing hazards, and allowing for faster resumption of racing and aviation operations by quickly drying and clearing debris, even on icy surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing pressurized air to effectively sweep contaminants and heat to aid in drying
Implementation Method 2
heat to aid in drying
Implementation Method 3
utilizing pressurized air to effectively sweep contaminants and heat to aid in drying
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are apparatuses, methods, and systems to clear a road surface of debris, water, or other contaminants. A system for clearing a road surface is provided including an air knife with an elongate orifice extending along a line, a frame configured to support the air knife in a position substantially parallel to a plane defined by the road surface, and a tow bar coupled to the frame, where the tow bar is pivotable relative to the frame along an axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the road surface. The system may include a mounting plate connected to the tow bar, where the mounting plate is pivotably mounted to the frame. The air knife may be supplied with pressurized air to clear the road surface of debris. A guide wheel may be attached to the frame, where the guide wheel is configured to rotate about an axis orthogonal to the plane defined by the road surface.