Solar-powered 'smart' roads could zap snow, and ice off of roads.
46 replies, posted
[QUOTE=CNN] The mayors of New York and Atlanta, Georgia, suffered stinging criticism for their handling of recent winter storms, but in the near future, technology could clear city streets of ice and snow -- by simply melting it away.
America's harsh winters cost the nation's economy billions of dollars each year in snow removal equipment, weather damage to streets and vehicles, extra days of school and revenue lost to closed businesses.
Scott Brusaw, a 53-year-old electrical engineer in tiny Sagle, Idaho, thinks he has a solution. So far, he's generated interest from the federal government and General Electric in his idea for a solar-powered roadway made from super-strong glass, instead of conventional asphalt or concrete.
"I'm looking out the window now at about a foot of snow, so if we can make it work here, we can make it work anywhere in the country," Brusaw said. "I'm hoping this spring we'll start laying the foundation for it right outside our building here."
Solar cells inside its glass surface would allow the roadway to act as a giant solar power generator, fueling embedded heating elements and making plows and other snow removal equipment unnecessary.
The heating elements would work "like in the rear window of your car," said the inventor, who intends to experiment with temperature settings during the next stages of the development process.
Electricity generated by the highway could be used to recharge electric vehicles and to power lights and LED warning signs along the road itself.
In fact, Brusaw believes that solar roadways -- if widely accepted -- could eventually generate clean electricity around the world, eliminating the need for fossil fuels and saving the planet from global climate change.[/QUOTE]
Full Article: [url]http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/01/19/smart.roads/index.html?npt=NP1[/url]
It would probably be very expensive, but atleast you aren't sliding down hills and slamming into more cars... Right?
zap the ice off of pavement, its bullshit how when I walk from school to home I end up falling due to ice four times.
I'm sorry, road made of Glass?
Gonna have to be some really impressive glass to withstand the constant pressures and weights of all those cars going over it, and that's something that even asphalt and concrete break down from.
There is also the major issue of traction with glass.
And then when the ice and snow melts you have wet glass, have fun dying.
I hope this could be applied to sidewalks too. I've lost track of all the times I've fallen while walking home from school, due to the ice
Interesting concept, but think of every single road just in America. That's a lot of money to invest in it. Now think of every road in Europe.
Doubt this'll get used on more than a few problematic hills.
[editline]24th January 2011[/editline]
Also isn't it extremely bad for glass to be cold then suddenly heat up?
Wouldn't glass, uh, be as traction-less as ice? :raise:
Why put the word "smart" up there, if the road was really smart it'd probably end up going rogue and heating up to an incredibly high temperature, cooking people in their cars.
[QUOTE=Dr Kevorkian;27628658]Why put the word "smart" up there, if the road was really smart it'd probably end up going rogue and heating up to an incredibly high temperature, cooking people in their cars.[/QUOTE]
...you know those things cars have called doors?
Yeah they were made to open to allow people to vacate the car in emergencies and when they want to leave the car, I think being cooked in your car would fall under both those criteria.
[editline]24th January 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=Murkat;27628506]Interesting concept, but think of every single road just in America. That's a lot of money to invest in it. Now think of every road in Europe.
Doubt this'll get used on more than a few problematic hills.
[editline]24th January 2011[/editline]
Also isn't it extremely bad for glass to be cold then suddenly heat up?[/QUOTE]
Yeah it's very bad, it's called thermal shock, causes the glass to fracture and shatter, so now you have a traction-less, razor sharp electrified surface to drive on.
This is a fucking terrible idea, and so it still gives me a chance to create my idea to solve the snow and ice problems.
please get rid of salt please get rid of salt please get rid of salt please get rid of salt please get rid of salt please get rid of salt
[QUOTE=Ama-zake;27628750]please get rid of salt please get rid of salt please get rid of salt please get rid of salt please get rid of salt please get rid of salt[/QUOTE]
Oh god this,
I'll have to replace my rear right quarterpanel because of that crap :argh:
Imagine what would happen if you dropped a bunch of these in the Arctic.
[QUOTE=Murkat;27628506]Interesting concept, but think of every single road just in America. That's a lot of money to invest in it. Now think of every road in Europe.
Doubt this'll get used on more than a few problematic hills.
[editline]24th January 2011[/editline]
Also isn't it extremely bad for glass to be cold then suddenly heat up?[/QUOTE]
And now think of every single road just in Russia. After that try think of every single road just in Antarc- wait.
Is it just me or does the salt not do shit? I mean there's times I see my neighbors spray salt all over the sidewalk in the morning, then in the afternoon I'm like "Oh hey wha- OH FUCK"
Why can't they just clear the snow? Whenever it snowed tons of snowplows drove around the city and cleared all the snow before I even got out of the house (7am) and it probably was a LOT cheaper than having high tech glass roads. The only difference is that we often get snow and are prepared while New York apparently wasn't.
[QUOTE=Arvuti;27628388]zap the ice off of pavement, its bullshit how when I walk from school to home I end up falling due to ice four times.[/QUOTE]
Sorry, this won't make people less clumsy.
Asphalt is already expensive as hell to put down.
I agree that road tech is very much in need of a tech update (We use exactly the same road design as the ancient Romans, except with asphalt on top), but it simply isn't viable.
This is a rubbish idea, nice concept, but there are much better alternatives to generating electricity and maintaining traction for vehicles on icy roads.
Fuck you I want to sled.
We have a shitty mayor here who apparently doesn't know that the fucking side streets need plowed. Or any street for that matter.
We had to use a hand-operated plow and shovels to get to work/school a few times before; that's all over the city.
Sure, do that, and while you're at it, paint the roads white like the global warming people always talked about to prevent heat absorption...
Though I don't know where you'd get the budget for stuff like that.
Could these roads also melt the kids who play in the middle of the street in front of my house?
fuck smart roads i want snowdays
[QUOTE=bravehat;27628436]I'm sorry, road made of Glass?
Gonna have to be some really impressive glass to withstand the constant pressures and weights of all those cars going over it, and that's something that even asphalt and concrete break down from.
There is also the major issue of traction with glass.
And then when the ice and snow melts you have wet glass, have fun dying.[/QUOTE]
You know, you can also make thick glass with a rough surface!
[QUOTE=DrLuke;27639329]You know, you can also make thick glass with a rough surface![/QUOTE]
And then when that cracks, sharp and rough shit cuts your shitty tires
And then the roads become sentient, and all hope is lost.
[QUOTE=ThatHippyMan;27636361]Could these roads also melt the kids who play in the middle of the street in front of my house?[/QUOTE]
That would be awesome.
Glass roads, sounds fun.
Wow. Do people actually think it's going to be smooth glass? Glass can be frosted and treated to allow for even more traction than concrete or asphalt. Glass is also more resistive (pretty much completely chemical resistant) to corrosion. It can be strengthened to withstand enormous pressures if thick enough and it's main component is sillica- which is sand. Incredibly abundant, incredibly cheap, and incredibly efficient.
[QUOTE=Arvuti;27628388]zap the ice off of pavement, its bullshit how when I walk from school to home I end up falling due to ice four times.[/QUOTE]
I'be found that it's actually harder to slip if you shuffle instead of walk.
Did I mention glass roads are better for the environment? Asphalt is not only poison, but contains a large amount of oil, which means more drilling. Also the roads can be partially mirrored during the summer to reflect a lot of the sunlight back into the sky. Besides that, they can be fitted with solar arrays and gather MASSIVE amounts of solar energy.
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