[Itheoxy Xakhzhatlia]

When new paviment is put on roads, it should have a thin sourface of iron-net connected to an eolic battery which would warm the road up to 30 ºC . One kind of thermo effects which will absorb and store the wheels' heat once the cars cross at regular speed. This thin iron-net will work as a domestic home heater.

Reward: dedicated to the prevention of accidents in winter

[sneezyalex]

Money
The govenrment can't just go around spending money everywhere.
If they have extra money they might think about it.
Otherwise there are more important things.

[Steve]

Of course this won't be used on every road, but for the dangerous icy curve where there are half a dozen deadly accidents every year, it might be actually worth the investment.

[sneezyalex]

How about a plow that has coils on the bottom and as it passes over the snow so the super hot coils melt the snow. The water just drains away?

[Steve]

How about a plow that has coils on the bottom and as it passes over the snow so the super hot coils melt the snow. The water just drains away?

Depends on the temperature. If you're unlucky, the water will freeze again and get you the most horrible road conditions you can think of.

[sneezyalex]

Wouldn't it just drain into the sewer?

[Rishi]

Of course this won't be used on every road, but for the dangerous icy curve where there are half a dozen deadly accidents every year, it might be actually worth the investment.

Suppose we have a steel or aluminum scaffolding over the road on such curves over which a tough fabric cover is drwan during winter to create a temporary tunnel . This should prevent snowfall reaching the road.

Living in the tropics, my knowledge of snow is negligible. A pinch of salt may be indicated with this idea. Though a slighly larger amount of salt on the snow may solve the problem in the usual way.

Rishi

[sneezyalex]

Mabey they should just build a permanet tunnel on the dangerous curves. Then no snow!

[1313]

I undrstand that roads have a certain amount of carbon in them...........is this not electrically conductive?? If so then low/small amont of electricity passing through the road would keep it warm?

[Rishi]

The lowest winter temperature where I live is
about 70 deg.F. So, the following is a theoretical analysis.

We will need to hold the road surface at 40 deg.F minimum to melt the snow. In still air with an outside temperature of 20 deg.F this means about 1 KW energy lost for every 10 sq.ft. of road surface. If there is a surface wind this loss would increase many fold. Likewise if the temperature falls below the 20 deg.F assumed.

It requires an additional 1 KW Hr of energy to melt 20 lbs of snow.

Earth is a universal sink for electricity, which is why we 'Ground' the domestic appliances to protect ourselves from shocks. Most of the power we supply directly to the ground will therefore be lost. There is no way to ensure that the current is confined to a thin skin on the surface. There is the other problem of heat itself being conducted downward, which of course adds to the earlier mentioned figures.

Not an encouraging prospect I am afraid.

Rishi

[Rishi]

Of course this won't be used on every road, but for the dangerous icy curve where there are half a dozen deadly accidents every year, it might be actually worth the investment.

Suppose we have a steel or aluminum scaffolding over the road on such curves over which a tough fabric cover is drwan during winter to create a temporary tunnel . This should prevent snowfall reaching the road.

Living in the tropics, my knowledge of snow is negligible. A pinch of salt may be indicated with this idea. Though a slighly larger amount of salt on the snow may solve the problem in the usual way.

Rishi

An interesting development:

http://www.cargillsafelane.com

rishi