Harvesting Thermoelectric Energy from Asphalt Pavements

2017 ◽  
Vol 2628 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Utpal Datta ◽  
Samer Dessouky ◽  
A. T. Papagiannakis
Keyword(s):  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Asphalt Pavement ◽  
Electrical Power ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Research Field ◽  
South Texas ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Pavement Surface ◽  
Thermoelectric Energy

The goal of this study was to develop a prototype for harvesting thermoelectric energy from asphalt pavement roadways. This emerging research field encompasses technologies that capture the existing thermal energy in pavements to generate electricity without depleting natural resources. In lower latitudes, such as south Texas, the asphalt pavement surface temperature in the summer can reach 55°C because of solar radiation. Soil temperatures below the pavement, however, are roughly constant (i.e., 27°C to 33°C) at relatively shallow depths (150 mm). This thermal gradient between the surface temperature and the pavement substrata can be used to generate electrical power through thermoelectric generators (TEGs). The proposed prototype collects heat energy from the pavement surface and transfers the energy to a TEG embedded in the subgrade at the edge of the pavement shoulder. Evaluation of this prototype was carried out through finite element analysis, laboratory testing, and field experiments. The results suggest that the 64- × 64-mm TEG prototype can generate an average of 10 mW of electric power continuously over a period of 8 h in the weather conditions in south Texas. Scaling up this prototype by using multiple TEG units could generate sufficient electricity to sustainably power low-watt LED lights and roadway and traffic sensors in off-grid, remote areas.

Temperature-Based Criteria for Opening Newly Laid Repaired Asphalt Pavement Sections to Traffic

2020 ◽  
Vol 2674 (3) ◽  
pp. 161-178
Author(s):  
L. He ◽  
L. Chu ◽  
T. F. Fwa
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Simulation Analysis ◽  
Asphalt Pavement ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Air Traffic ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Allowable Temperature

To avoid premature damage, a newly laid asphalt pavement repair must be allowed to cool sufficiently before opening to air traffic. This study examines the variations of temperature within different repaired asphalt layers during cooling, and makes recommendations with regard to the choice of temperature-based criteria for determining the earliest time to open a newly laid asphalt pavement section to air traffic in a busy airport. Using finite element simulation analysis, the cooling patterns of asphalt layers under the following conditions were studied: three different weather conditions (sunny daytime, cloudy daytime, and nighttime) with three different wind speeds. It is shown that the common practice of relying on surface temperature to determine the time for opening to traffic is unsatisfactory. This is because under most paving conditions, a large proportion of the newly laid asphalt layer would still have temperatures higher than the surface temperature. From finite element analysis for different paving and environmental conditions, it is recommended that the temperatures at an interior point be measured at either 1/2, 2/3, or 3/4 depth, and that nighttime paving be preferred. This study shows that for common asphalt pavement repairs of thicknesses up to 150 mm, taking the temperature at either 2/3 or 3/4 depth as the guide, a repaired asphalt layer, when opened to air traffic, would have its internal maximum temperature kept within 2°C of the preset maximum allowable temperature. If the 1/2 depth temperature is selected as a guide, a margin of within 4°C of the preset maximum allowable temperature can be achieved.

Modelling pavement temperature for winter maintenance operations

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 369-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aly Sherif ◽  
Yasser Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Statistical Modelling ◽  
Dew Point ◽  
Road Maintenance ◽  
Winter Maintenance ◽  
Pavement Surface ◽  
Pavement Temperature

Road and highway maintenance is vital for the safety of citizens and for enabling emergency and security services to perform their essential functions. Accumulation of snow and (or) ice on the pavement surface during the wintertime substantially increases the risk of road crashes and can have negative impact on the economy of the region. Recently, road maintenance engineers have used pavement surface temperature as a guide to the application of deicers. Stations for road weather information systems (RWIS) have been installed across Europe and North America to collect data that can be used to predict weather conditions such as air temperature. Modelling pavement surface temperature as a function of such weather conditions (air temperature, dew point, relative humidity, and wind speed) can provide an additional component that is essential for winter maintenance operations. This paper uses data collected by RWIS stations at the City of Ottawa to device a procedure that maximizes the use of a data batch containing complete, partially complete, and unusable data and to study the relationship between the pavement surface temperature and weather variables. Statistical models were developed, where stepwise regression was first applied to eliminate those variables whose estimated coefficients are not statistically significant. The remaining variables were further examined according to their contribution to the criterion of best fit and their physical relationships to each other to eliminate multicollinearities. The models were further corrected for the autocorrelation in their error structures. The final version of the developed models may then be used as a part of the decision-making process for winter maintenance operations.Key words: winter maintenance, pavement temperature, statistical modelling, RWIS.

scholarly journals Review of Factors Controlling Skid Resistance at Tire-Pavement Interface

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Abhinav Kumar ◽  
Ankit Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Road Safety ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Asphalt Pavement ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Critical Parameters ◽  
Pavement Performance ◽  
Skid Resistance ◽  
Pavement Maintenance ◽  
Pavement Surface ◽  
Maintenance And Rehabilitation

Road safety is of prime importance for pavement engineers and maintenance authorities. Pavement resistance to skidding of the vehicle has long been recognized as one of the leading parameters governing road safety and driving comfort, especially in wet weather conditions. The knowledge of skid resistance offered by pavement surface is very valuable information for road safety enhancements. Skid resistance is defined as the force developed when a tire that is prevented from rotation slides along the pavement surface. Evaluation of skid resistance over time and estimation of factors influencing it are important for pavement maintenance and rehabilitation planning. This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of various research works carried out for assessing critical parameters like surface texture, tire tread, rain intensity, temperature, loading condition, tire inflation pressure, and pavement type which control skid resistance of asphalt pavement at tire-road interface significantly. First, a brief overview of skid resistance and its importance in asphalt pavement is provided. Then, critical parameters influencing skid resistance are identified and reviewed more elaborately. Furthermore, the key relationship between skid resistance and various controlling parameters is reviewed and presented for a better understanding of skid variation analysis. Finally, a general discussion on skid resistance governing factors, their relative importance in maintaining safety and pavement performance, the complexity involved in computation, and established relationships with skid resistance is briefly summarized.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a Novel Road Thermoelectric Generator System

2019 ◽  
Vol 271 ◽  
pp. 08002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Amid Tahami ◽  
Mohammadreza Gholikhani ◽  
Reza Nasouri ◽  
Samer Dessouky
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Thermoelectric Generator ◽  
Asphalt Pavement ◽  
Electrical Power ◽  
Sustainable Transportation ◽  
Generator System ◽  
Pavement Surface ◽  
Heat Collector ◽  
Harvesting Process ◽  
And Performance

Capturing the unused energy is the challenging aspect in the harvesting process. Since one potentially important component for energy harvesting in the transportation sector is pavement, successful energy harvesting from roadway pavements can lead to sustainable transportation infrastructure systems. Asphalt pavement surface temperature can reach up to 70˚C in summer because of solar radiation. This paper presents a development of novel set of road thermoelectric generator system and describes the operation, design, and performance of the system installed within pavement that captures the heat energy from the temperature differential between the pavement surface and the subgrade soil. Designed prototype encompasses of thermoelectric generator, coolant module, heat collector and conductor. The efficiency and performance of the designed system were evaluated through the experiments and finite element modeling. Based on the results, the generated electrical power from the asphalt pavement could be a key source for providing off-grid power supply for sensors used in smart infrastructure, structural health monitoring, and environment sensing.

Numerical Analysis on Propagation and Fatigue Life of Asphalt Pavement Surface Crack

2011 ◽  
Vol 383-390 ◽  
pp. 1658-1663
Author(s):  
Hong Chang Wang ◽  
Guo Fen Li
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Life ◽  
Crack Propagation ◽  
Surface Crack ◽  
Asphalt Pavement ◽  
Influence Factors ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Finite Element Analysis Model ◽  
Pavement Surface ◽  
Base Course

Focusing on the severity of asphalt pavement surface crack, a finite element analysis model of 20-node isoparametric elements was established by the commerce FEM software ABAQUS with the base of fracture mechanics theory. The surface crack of pavement was numerical analyzed and the crack propagation life was evaluated by Paris formula. In the course of surface crack propagation the change of the stress intensity factor (K2) was discussed and the effect of pavement parameters on surface crack fatigue life was studied. The analysis indicates: (1) the propagation of surface crack is dominated by deflection load. In the course of crack propagation, at first K2 increases to the top then drops down slowly. (2) the important influence factors to the surface crack propagation life at the scope of road structure parameter, are thickness and modulus of surface course, the modulus of base course. But modulus of subgrade, thickness and modulus of subbase course and thickness of base course are of no effect.

Optimizing genotype-environment-management interactions to ensure silage maize production in the Chinese Maize Belt

2020 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-146
Author(s):  
L Zhang ◽  
Z Zhang ◽  
J Cao ◽  
Y Luo ◽  
Z Li
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiments ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Growth Cycle ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Energy Yield ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Early Date ◽  
Environment Management ◽  
Silage Maize

Grain maize production exceeds the demand for grain maize in China. Methods for harvesting good-quality silage maize urgently need a theoretical basis and reference data in order to ensure its benefits to farmers. However, research on silage maize is limited, and very few studies have focused on its energetic value and quality. Here, we calibrated the CERES-Maize model for 24 cultivars with 93 field experiments and then performed a long-term (1980-2017) simulation to optimize genotype-environment-management (G-E-M) interactions in the 4 main agroecological zones across China. We found that CERES-Maize could reproduce the growth and development of maize well under various management and weather conditions with a phenology bias of <5 d and biomass relative root mean square error values of <5%. The simulated results showed that sowing long-growth-cycle cultivars approximately 10 d in advance could yield good-quality silage. The optimal sowing dates (from late May to July) and harvest dates (from early October to mid-November) gradually became later from north to south. A high-energy yield was expected when sowing at an early date and/or with late-maturing cultivars. We found that Northeast China and the North China Plain were potential silage maize growing areas, although these areas experienced a medium or even high frost risk. Southwestern maize experienced a low risk level, but the low soil fertility limited the attainable yield. The results of this paper provide information for designing an optimal G×E×M strategy to ensure silage maize production in the Chinese Maize Belt.

The questions of methodology of field experiments in agriculture and crop production

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (94) ◽  
pp. 38-44
Author(s):  
А.M. Malienkо ◽  
N.E. Borуs ◽  
N.G. Buslaeva
Keyword(s):  
Labor Productivity ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
High Accuracy ◽  
Experimental Plot ◽  
Increase Labor Productivity ◽  
Biometric Parameters ◽  
Field Crops ◽  
High Condition

In the article, the results of research on the methodology for conducting studies with corn culture under various methods of sowing and weather conditions. The aim of the research was to establish and evaluate the reliability and high accuracy of the experiment, with a decrease in the area's acreage and taking one plant per repetition. Based on the results of the analysis of biometric parameters and yields, the possibility of sampling from 5 to 108 plants was established statistically and mathematically to establish the accuracy of the experiment. The established parameters of sites in experiments with maize indicate the possibility of obtaining much more information from a smaller unit of area, that is, to increase labor productivity not only with tilled crops. This is the goal of further scientific research with other field crops taking 1 plant of repetitions, observing the conditions of leveling the experimental plot according to the fertility of the soil and sowing seeds with high condition. The data obtained give grounds for continuing research on the minimum space required and the sample in the experiments.

scholarly journals The research of dynamic impacts on the hydraulic structure foundation base, transformed in the process of accident recovery

2018 ◽  
Vol 251 ◽  
pp. 04040
Author(s):  
Zaven Ter-Martirosyan ◽  
Ivan Luzin
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiments ◽  
Dynamic Properties ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Experimental Site ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
The Finite Element Analysis ◽  
Foundation Base ◽  
Dynamic Impacts ◽  
Scale Experiment ◽  
Selection Of

The article presents the results of a comprehensive research of the dynamic impacts on a modified base. The modified base was obtained as a result of compensatory injection at the experimental site for the accident recovery at the hydraulic engineering structure. The complex study of the dynamic impacts includes special laboratory tests to determine the soil parameters, the finite element analysis of the experimental site, taking into account the dynamic properties, the selection of the necessary equipment for field experiments based on the numerical solution results, a full-scale experiment with the measurement of the foundation sediments of the experimental site.

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