ROAD SURFACE MAINTENANCE INSTALLATION BASED ON REAL TIME WEATHER WARNINGS, PHENOMENA AND PARAMETERS

Abstract

 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.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a road surface maintenance installation based on real time weather warnings, phenomena and parameters specific to each microclimate.

[0002] Document CN 104294760 describes a de-icing system for road bridges or tunnel openings, which comprises a road surface weather information collecting subsystem, a spraying subsystem and a control subsystem; the road surface weather information collecting subsystem comprises a meteorological sensor used for collecting the atmospheric temperature, the humidity, the wind speed, the road surface ice, snow and water conditions and the road surface temperature, as the spraying subsystem covers the bridge when ice is formed or when snow has fallen.

[0003] Document KR2021000628A informs of a device and a method to spray a liquid on the road, which allows for an equal distribution of the sprayed substance from each spray module fitted on an inlet pipe and for keeping a constant flow of the initial spraying amount, thus improving the quick action and the continuous properties of de-icing works.

[0004] Existent de-icing or snow removal solutions are based on installations mounted on the side of the road or on bridge rails and only kick in when snow has already fallen or ice has already formed. These installations are activated on only when certain sensors or video cameras alongside that road segment detect ice or snow formations, are inefficient if that road segment is under traffic, and do not prevent these phenomena, as there is no real time correlation between the weather warnings in that respective microclimate and the starting of the installation.

[0005] The technical problem solved by this invention refers to maintaining road surfaces in optimum condition for traffic by automatically maintaining road surfaces according to the severe weather warnings, the phenomena, and the parameters measured and sent in real time by a weather station that serves a certain microclimate, or the weather parameters sent by infra weather systems.

[0006] This technical problem is solved through at least one road surface maintenance installation, or several such installations, placed on several road segments, 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 and the duration of a warning weather code in effect in the geographic sector of an infra weather system; the installation comprises an air compressor, a compressed air tank, one or several tanks for water or de-icing liquid, all connected to a group of pumps; the group of pumps is automatically operated via a Remote Control Relay Module GSM based on commands from a server; the intervention fluids, air/water, travel via pipe joints and segments fitted with valves, excess flow valves, and quick mobile couplings; the underground main pipe segment is fitted with nozzles, each fitted with a protective compression ring; 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.

[0007] The benefits brought by this invention are listed below:

• road surfaces are de-iced preventively, before black ice or snow layers form,
• the preventive action is done in due time, before and during phenomena such as freeze, freezing rain, black ice, snow, blizzard, etc.,
• the system is fully automated and independent;
• solid anti-skid mixtures or the need to apply these manually or via equipment is eliminated,
• cools and implicitly reduces road surface temperatures during the summer,
• avoids damage to the asphalt layer,
• reduces costs,
• reduces number of car crashes,
• reduces emissions, eliminates emissions,
• avoids hydroplaning by using compressed air to remove water from the road surface,
• allows for freer traffic flow on the road segments where it is implemented,
• disinfects, demarcates, and isolates certain epidemic or pandemic outbreaks.

[0008] Below is an example of how the invention can be developed, in connection to figures 1-2 representing:

Figure 1. Schematic of the installation, as per the invention,

Figure 2. Detail view of the spraying subsystem.

[0009] The installation aimed to maintain road, railway, airport, heliport surfaces or other surfaces exposed to the elements, based on weather warnings, phenomena, and parameters, is made up of an air compressor 1, a compressed air tank 2, and a tank 3 for intervention fluid storage; the tanks are connected to a group of pumps 4 that distribute said fluids from the selected tank to a spraying subsystem. An electric switch 5 allows for selection of the fluid source, as the fluid is distributed via joints 6.

[0010] For remote operation of the pump group 4, a relay GSM module 7 is used, controlled via a server 8.

[0011] According to the commands sent by the server 8, the chosen fluid, air or water, is sent through a pipe segment 9, that can be between 100 m and 3,500 m long, and to the spraying subsystem.

[0012] The pipe segment 9 is fitted with inner thread compression rings 10 in which backflow preventers are installed 11 that may block the fluids' travel direction.

[0013] The pipe segment 9 is fitted with spraying subsystems placed at equal intervals, as each subsystem comprises excess flow valves 12 and quick mobile couplings 13 which allow nozzles 14 mounted along the length the pipe segment 9 to sink below the surface of the road when run over by car wheels.

[0014] Pipe segment 9 and the spraying subsystems are buried under the centre line of a one or multiple-lane road, while the nozzles 14 that spray the fluids on the surface of the road are placed at different intervals, depending on road dimensions, along the length of the road segment. The nozzle spray the necessary fluid according to the announced weather phenomenon, at 8 bars in the case of liquid, and at 10 bars in the case of air, uni- or bidirectionally, covering between 10 sqm and 70 sqm in the case of unidirectional or bidirectional spraying, depending on the size of the nozzles installed.

[0015] Based on the data issued by the weather stations 15 and on the measurements recorded by their sensors, i.e. temperature sensor 15₁, humidity sensor 15₂, wind direction and speed sensor 15₃, global radiation sensor 154, atmospheric pressure sensor 155, rain fall sensor 15₆, air quality sensor 15₇, and/or when severe weather warnings, imminent weather events (storm, lightning, wind, rain, snow, etc.) for a certain geographic location/area identified through geographic coordinates and applicable to a certain time interval are issued and received, as this data is corroborated with other information from other sources, such as radars, satellites, other weather stations, the weather data provider sends weather warnings to the server 8, which sends a message to activate the group of pumps 4, via the GSM module (Global System for Mobile Communication) 7.

[0016] The server 8 manages the data received, while its database also comprises additional information, such as the barcode used to identify each sector, the code of the county where the installation is placed, street GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates.

[0017] The automated installation confirms each action performed, allowing for the identification of dysfunctional sectors 9.

[0018] Severe weather warnings are transmitted according to the GPS coordinates of the sections, to four alert levels: yellow, orange, red, purple, or via generic descriptions in non-standard format, indicating the event date and its onset and end time. The data received is saved in the database of server 8, which at pre-set time intervals generates reports to be published on a map accessible to the public via an online website.

[0019] If there is a GPS coordinate alert system in the area or on the route of a sector, it can communicate with server 8, which triggers the installation. In this way, anyone who accesses the interactive map can find out about the activity of the sector or the condition of the road

[0020] Thus, users accessing the map shall be able to confirm whether an infra weather system is available in that location, whether there is a severe weather warning active for that location, and whether the maintenance installation is functional at the given point in time.

[0021] The colour of the warning code also indicates the approximate duration of the weather event and the amount of precipitation.

[0022] The installation hereby described shall have a set type of fluid to be used, operating time and duration, depending on the warning code or depending on the parameters measured by the weather stations for each sector.

[0023] This setting related to the warning code allows for a preventive intervention on the road surface, avoiding the formation of a snow/ice layer and ensuring smooth traffic.

[0024] When temperatures drop under freeze level, to prevent the formation of black ice, the installation automatically starts distributing material at a pre-set threshold.

[0025] At a certain pre-set threshold of the parameters collected within a certain location, the server 8 sends a START command via SMS and thus begins the distribution of material to prevent black ice. Similar action can be taken in the case of a blizzard, as the air blown acts to scatter the layer of snow or to melt the snow deposited by the wind on the road by spraying water or de-icing fluid.

[0026] When necessary, actions can be taken to automatically wash or decontaminate the road. In this case, the array of situations is determined by the public or private road administrator, and the solution used to wash the road is also determined by the administrator of the road segment concerned.

[0027] As the server 8 allows for the use of the data collected from each individual location, the installation can also act to cool the road or to avoid hydroplaning on the road surface.

[0028] A second version of the installation is aimed at railways; in this case, the compressor 1, at least one tank 2 storing intervention fluids, the joints 6, the pump group 4, and the relay GSM module 7 are mounted above the ground, while the backflow preventers 8, the nozzles 9 used to spray materials on the related surfaces 10 and certain other protective elements are to be placed overground between railway sleepers.

[0029] The automated installation hereby described can also be used to maintain airport landing/take-off runways, heliport surfaces, or even areas or surfaces that require snow removal, avoiding the formation of black ice, water removal, or decontamination, and where it is difficult to carry out mechanic or manual intervention.

[0030] Below are several examples of how the hereby described installation can be used.

1. The formation of black ice is prevented based on the parameters measured by the weather station installed on each segment, that sends the weather data measurements, at pre-set intervals, to the server, which uses an algorithm to identify the optimum conditions for black ice formation. After identifying these conditions, the server send a START command to the system's control module, thus activating the road maintenance installation, which sprays the fluid to prevent the formation of black ice on the surface of the road. The formation of snow layers is prevented based on weather forecasts and severe weather event warnings sent to the server. Having read and interpreted these, the server activates the public road maintenance installation by sending a START command to the control module. This command activates the road surface maintenance installation, which sprays the liquid to prevent the formation of snow layers on the surface of the road. The system's activation frequency and the running time differs according to the colour of the severe weather event warning code, as these stipulate the duration and the amount of precipitation or the intensity of the severe weather phenomenon.

2. Compressed air is used to remove water from the surface of the road and thus to avoid hydroplaning. The weather station corresponding to each segment measures the amount of water via a rain gauge and, if certain thresholds are exceeded, the server activates the road maintenance installation. In the case of severe weather warnings that include the amount of precipitation, pre-sets can be used to remove it via the road maintenance installation. The same applies to blizzards. Depending on the warning codes or the weather parameters (wind speed and direction) measured by the weather station, the server activates the road maintenance installation. A blizzard blows the snow layer already formed on the ground onto the road surface, thus blocking the road. By activating the maintenance installation, compressed air is blown out of the nozzles at a 10 bar pressure to dislocate the snow off the road.

3. To cool the road surface using the installation, the weather station measures the weather parameters, sends the data to the server which, after reading and interpreting the data, sends a START command to the system's control module. This command activates the road surface maintenance installation, which sprays the liquid to cool the surface of the road. The road is washed when necessary, as this command is given by the authorities through a customized message sent to the server. The server reads and interprets the message, then the server sends a START command to the system's control module, thus activating the road maintenance installation, which sprays the fluid to wash the road surface, The road surface can also be cooled by using compressed air. Based on the real-time parameters measured by the weather station, when a certain pre-set heat threshold is reached, the server sends a START command to the system's control module, which activates the compressor of the road maintenance installation.

Claims

1. A road surface maintenance installation placed on road segments, on the centre line of the road or on a lateral side of the road, the installation operates according to the he installation operates according to the meteorological parameters measured in real time by the weather station for each sector or the duration of a weather code in effect in the geographic area of an infra weather system, characterized by the fact that: It 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.

2. A road surface maintenance installation, as per claim 1, characterized by the fact that the pipe segment (9) and the spraying subsystems are buried under the centre line of a one or multiple-lane road and the nozzles (14) are placed at different intervals, depending on road dimensions, along the length of the road segment, spraying the necessary fluid at 8 bars in the case of liquid, and at 10 bars in the case of air, uni- or bidirectionally, covering between 10 sqm and 70 sqm, according to the announced weather phenomenon.

3. A road surface maintenance installation, as per claims 1 and 2, characterized by the fact that it can also serve railways, as the compressor (1), at least one tank (2) storing intervention fluids, the joints (6), the pump group (4), and the relay GSM module (7) are mounted above the ground, while the backflow preventers (11), the nozzles (14) used to spray materials on the related surfaces, and certain other protective elements (10) are to be placed underground, between railway sleepers.

Drawing