Description
The use of huge amounts of salt to prevent snow and ice on roads accelerates the corrosion of roads and pavement, as well as on vehicles and other civil constructions like iron bridges and tunnels. The project will carry out the implementation of a low cost system that demonstrates the feasibility of using geothermal energy of low heat content as a method to prevent the formation of ice on roads. It is foreseen to reduce the number of accidents through the improvement of the maintenance of roads, make use of renewable energy, and eliminate the use of brine as ice melting in critical points of the roads.For this purpose, a pilot installation will be developed on a testing road, with the aim to avoid, with enough effectiveness and minimal maintenance, the icing. The pilot installation will be monitored for at least a year and a half so that sufficient data on its operation is obtained.
Summary of project results
The project succeeded in obtaining an innovative low cost system to prevent the ice in the viaducts through the use of geothermal energy, enabling a reduction in the number of accidents through the improvement in the maintenance of roads, by using a environmentally friendly technology and avoiding possible environmental impacts caused by the current systems normally used (such as the spray of saline fluxes). In addition, a geothermal system and an automated system have been developed to control and obtain data from the geothermal system. Thanks to this automated system, preliminary conclusions about the operation of the system have been obtained. The system is being tested on a pilot road. These tests will be done over the course of one year and a half. Therefore, the definitive conclusions will be reinforced after said period. In general, the technical and economic progress of the project has been suitable and has been successfully completed.
Summary of bilateral results
Sintef wanted to receive information about the progress and results of the project and activities related to the project. The Geothermal-based winter maintenance is a new research area at their department. They express their interest at the first stages of the project, sending to Valoriza Conservación de Infraestructuras a letter of interest. Preliminary conclusions about the operation of the system have been obtained, so Valoriza sent an email to Sintef with the conclusions of the development of this new geothermal system.For the future, the contact will continue and we see interesting possibilities for the collaboration in other R+D projects.