NUCLEAR WASTES IN COMPARISON WITH OTHER HEAT SOURCES FOR DEICING OF BRIDGES, RAMPS, AND PAVEMENTS

OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, A NUMBER OF NON-CHEMICAL ROADWAY AND BRIDGE DEICING SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES. VARIOUS FORMS OF HEATING HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED IN THESE SYSTEMS AND INCLUDE STEAM FROM POWER PLANTS, ELECTRICITY, FOSSILE FUELS AND HOT WATER FROM NATURAL SPRINGS. THE REPORTED PERFORMANCE AND COST EXPERIENCE OF THESE SYSTEMS WAS STUDIED AND COMPARED WITH THE PREDICTED PERFORMANCE AND COST OF A NUCLEAR SYSTEM USING THE DECAY HEAT OF FISSION PRODUCTS AND THAT OF A SYSTEM USING THE STORED HEAT IN THE EARTH ITSELF. EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT DELICATE IN-PAVEMENT HEATING ELEMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO EARLY FAILURE. GOOD ENGINEERING PRACTICE DICTATED THAT, IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A HIGH SYSTEM RELIABILITY FOR SEVERE OPERATING ENVIRONMENTS, SUFFICIENT REDUNDANCY HAD TO BE PROVIDED TO PERMIT RANDOM FAILURES TO OCCUR WITHOUT IMPAIRING SYSTEM PERFORMANCE. FURTHERMORE, THE ECOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE SYSTEMS EVALUATED WERE CONSIDERED. BASED UPON THESE CONSIDERATIONS AND THOSE OF COST, A HIGHWAY HEATING SYSTEM USING NATURAL EARTH HEAT WAS SELECTED FOR FURTHER STUDY. THIS SYSTEM WILL BE AUGMENTED BY NUCLEAR FISSION PRODUCT HEAT OR BY SOLAR/AMBIENT HEAT FOR SPECIAL LOCATIONS WHERE NATURAL EARTH HEAT IS INSUFFICIENT TO SUPPLY THE REQUIRED ENERGY. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • FH-11-7413 Rept No DTM-70-6
• Corporate Authors:

  Dynatherm Corporation

  1 Industry Lane
  Cockeysville, MD  United States  21030
• Authors:
  • Kondner, R L
  • Maujon, P L
  • Pravda, M F
  • Brennan, P J
• Publication Date: 1970-9

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 91 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Deicing; Energy resources; Heat; Pavements; Radioactive waste disposal; Ramps; Solar energy; Solar power generation; Spent reactor fuels
• Uncontrolled Terms: Energy crisis
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Energy; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00219114
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Research Institute
• Report/Paper Numbers: Final Rpt
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 24 1974 12:00AM