Road Surface Maintenance Installation with Real-Time Weather Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing de-icing and snow removal solutions are inefficient as they only activate after ice or snow has formed and are not correlated with real-time weather warnings, leading to suboptimal road surface maintenance during severe weather events.
Innovation Solution
An automated road surface maintenance installation that uses real-time meteorological data from weather stations to prevent ice and snow formation by distributing de-icing fluids and compressed air through a network of underground nozzles, controlled remotely via a GSM module, allowing for proactive maintenance before severe weather conditions occur.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If de-icing installations are activated only after ice or snow has formed, then the system responds to actual conditions, but road surface maintenance becomes reactive rather than preventive, leading to suboptimal maintenance during severe weather events
Solution Approach 1:
The system activates de-icing installations before ice or snow formation by receiving weather warnings from an infra weather system. The control unit triggers the spraying subsystem in advance based on predicted weather conditions, transforming the system from reactive to preventive maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors that continuously monitor road surface temperature, atmospheric temperature, humidity, and precipitation. This real-time feedback allows the control unit to adjust operations dynamically, ensuring maintenance actions are taken at the optimal moment based on actual environmental conditions.
2Device complexity
If de-icing installations are mounted on the side of the road or on bridge rails, then the installation structure is simple, but the system cannot provide comprehensive coverage and real-time correlation with weather warnings in the respective microclimate
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the road into multiple segments, each equipped with its own weather station and control unit. This segmentation allows each section to be independently monitored and treated, providing comprehensive coverage while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an infra weather system as an intermediary that provides real-time weather warnings and microclimate data. This intermediary layer enables the control units to receive accurate local weather information and trigger appropriate maintenance actions without requiring complex direct sensing infrastructure.
3Ease of manufacture
If manual application of solid anti-skid mixtures is used, then the system is simple to implement, but it requires human intervention and cannot provide continuous or preventive maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The system is designed to operate autonomously by receiving weather warnings from the infra weather system and automatically triggering the spraying subsystem through the control unit. The sensors continuously monitor conditions and adjust operations without human intervention, enabling continuous preventive maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical application of anti-skid mixtures with an automated spraying subsystem that delivers liquid de-icing agents through pumps and nozzles. This substitution maintains implementation simplicity while achieving full automation and continuous operation capability.
4Reliability
If existing installations wait for sensor detection of ice or snow formations, then the system operates based on actual conditions, but it is inefficient during traffic and cannot prevent phenomena formation
Solution Approach 1:
By receiving weather warnings in advance from the infra weather system, the control unit activates the spraying subsystem before ice or snow forms. This preliminary action prevents phenomena formation rather than responding to them, improving both road surface condition and maintenance efficiency during traffic conditions.
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 prevents black ice and snow formation, reduces traffic disruptions, lowers maintenance costs, and enhances road safety by maintaining road surfaces in optimal condition through automated and proactive measures.
Implementation Method 1
an air compressor (1), a compressed air tank (2)... Compressed air is used to remove water from the surface of the road and thus to avoid hydroplaning
Implementation Method 2
a tank (3) for intervention fluid storage; the tanks are connected to a group of pumps (4) that distribute said fluids... the chosen fluid, air or water, is sent through a pipe segment (9)
Implementation Method 3
based on the data issued by the weather stations (15) and on the measurements recorded by their sensors, i.e. temperature sensor (15) 1, humidity sensor (15) 2, wind direction and speed sensor (15) 3
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
This invention relates to a road surface maintenance installation, or several such installations placed on several road sectors, on the centre line of the road or on a lateral side of the road; the installation operates according to the meteorological parameters measured in real time by the weather station for each sector or the duration of a warning weather code in effect in the geographic sector and which is made up of an air compressor (1), a compressed air tank (2), one or several water or deicing fluid tanks (3) connected to a pump group (4) via joints (6); the pump group is automatically activated (4) by a switch (5) controlled remotely via a GSM relay module (7) based on the commands received from a server (8); the intervention fluids, air/water, travel via pipe joints (6) and pipe segments (9) mounted under the road surface; each pipe segment (9) is fitted with compression rings (10) connected to the spraying subsystems made up of backflow preventers (11), excess flow valves (12), quick mobile couplings (13) and nozzles (14); the installation allows for automatic measures to prevent black ice or snow deposit formation, to remove water from the road surface, to remove dust or impurities from the road surface, or to cool road segments when high temperatures are recorded, as per the command sent by server (8) that reads and interprets the weather data issued by weather stations (15) and based on the recordings captured by their sensors: temperature sensor (151), humidity sensor (152), wind speed and direction sensor (153), global radiation sensor (154), atmospheric pressure sensor (155), rainfall sensor (156), air quality sensor (157), and/or when severe weather warnings are issued and received.