Microwave Deicing Efficiency: Study on the Difference between Microwave Frequencies and Road Structure Materials

Abstract

A method of deicing using microwave heating is proposed to make scientific and economical road deicing in a cold area, and to make up for deficiencies in the existing methods for melting snow and ice. This paper proposes to define microwave deicing efficiency as the heating rate of a concrete surface when heated to 0 °C (the efficiency of deicing is equal to the difference divided by heating time, which is between 0 °C and the initial temperature at the junction of ice and concrete). Based on the mechanism of microwave heating and deicing, a method combining the finite element simulation model with indoor experiments was proposed to study the deicing efficiency of microwaves, and the effects of different microwave frequencies and different road structure materials on microwave deicing efficiency were analyzed. The results show that the microwave frequency and road structure materials have a great influence on microwave deicing. For asphalt concrete, the ice melting efficiency of 5.8 GHz is 4.31 times that of 2.45 GHz, but the heating depth is less than that of 2.45 GHz. At 2.45 GHz, the melting efficiency of cement concrete is 3.89 times that of asphalt concrete. At 5.8 GHz, the melting efficiency of cement concrete is 5.23 times that of asphalt concrete. Through the consistency of the simulation and experimental results, the validity of the simulation model based on the finite element theory is verified. The results provide theoretical guidance and a practical basis for future applications of microwave deicing.

Optimizing Asphalt Mixtures to Be Heated by Microwave

“…One of the most promising technologies is the microwave heating. Microwave radiation has found different applications in pavement engineering, such as recycling of asphalt pavement [7] and deicing application [8] [9], although most of the researchers used microwave heating to promote self-healing process [10] [1]. When asphalt mixture is exposed to microwave radiation, heat is generated through conversion of the energy of the electromagnetic field [15].…”

A Mini-Review on Recent Developments in Anti-Icing Methods

“…Microwave ice removal is a method characterized by rapid and selective heating and higher thermal efficiency [ 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 ]. In [ 101 ] the effectiveness of removing ice from the surface of concrete with the addition of modified carbon fibers (carbon fiber modified concrete (CMFC)) is discussed.…”

A Study on the Heating and Deicing Performance of Microwave-Absorbing Asphalt Mixtures

“…A road under microwave radiation converts microwave energy into thermal energy, which heats up the pavement and reduces the adhesion between the road and the ice layer, leading to the easy removal of the ice layer. The energy conversion and the deicing effect are even more obvious on roads containing microwave-absorbing materials [ 12 ]. Microwave heating and deicing technology has environmental and energy-saving advantages, overcomes the shortcomings of mechanical deicing that relies on a substantial amount of human and material resources, and has significantly higher efficiency than the mechanical method.…”