ROAD SURFACE PROMOTING MELTING OF SNOW BY NATURAL ENERGY BY RECEIVING ULTRAVIOLET RAY IRRADIATION

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide road surface environment reducing energy cost required for melting snow greatly by making a road surface temperature to rise using ultraviolet rays such as sunlight. SOLUTION: Titanium dioxide, nichrome powders and carbon or calcium powders are mixed in asphalt or concrete in a surface layer part of a road surface. Nichrome generates heat due to photovoltaic effect of titanium dioxide and contact electromotive force effect of nichrome and carbon or nichrome and calcium so that the road surface reaches such temperature that promotes melting of snow. In particular, electromotive effect of titanium dioxide is great and it provides high snow melting capability in the daytime. When a voltage of nichrome is increased, the road surface temperature reaches several hundred degrees, but it is sufficient with electromotive force according to this theory in a scope of 1 to 10 deg.C required for melting snow.