A time domain reflectometry sensor for monitoring pavement icing

IF 3.8 2区工程技术 Q1 ENGINEERING, CIVIL

Cold Regions Science and Technology Pub Date : 2025-07-24 DOI:10.1016/j.coldregions.2025.104614

Taryn DiLorenzo , Xinbao Yu

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Ice formation on pavements dramatically decreases the safety of winter travel and costs billions of dollars annually for treatment in the United States. This paper presents an innovative sensor that uses dielectric sensing to detect the onset of icing on a pavement surface. The sensor utilizes time-domain reflectometry (TDR) technology to detect the response of the dielectric constant (K_a) to changes in the pavement surface media, thereby characterizing the pavement surface condition. Two stainless steel rods, flat and square, were selected as the sensor probes. The developed sensors were tested under various application scenarios, considering installation embedment, pavement materials (concrete vs. asphalt), and a construction-grade epoxy needed for sensor embedding. The testing of pavement weather scenarios was simulated in a freezer box at selected freezing temperatures, considering surface water ponding and icing, with and without brine treatment. The test results showed that the chosen sensor prototype was responsive to pavement icing development, i.e., the phase change of liquid water to ice, under the influence of the bonding epoxy. An ice-detection algorithm was developed that utilizes the time series of K_a in conjunction with the pavement surface temperature to assess the potential for the formation of pavement surface ice. The developed ice sensor and the signal analysis algorithm can be used for real-time monitoring of the icing conditions on both rigid and flexible pavement surfaces.

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用于路面结冰监测的时域反射传感器

路面结冰大大降低了冬季旅行的安全性，在美国，每年的治疗费用高达数十亿美元。本文提出了一种利用介电感应来检测路面结冰情况的新型传感器。该传感器利用时域反射（TDR）技术检测介电常数（Ka）对路面介质变化的响应，从而表征路面状况。选用两根不锈钢棒作为传感器探头，一根是扁平的，一根是方形的。开发的传感器在各种应用场景下进行了测试，考虑了安装嵌入、路面材料（混凝土与沥青）以及传感器嵌入所需的施工级环氧树脂。在选定的冻结温度下，在冷冻箱中模拟了路面天气情景，考虑了地表水的积水和结冰，并进行了卤水处理。试验结果表明，所选择的传感器原型在黏结环氧树脂的影响下，对路面结冰的发展，即液态水向冰的相变有响应。开发了一种冰检测算法，该算法利用Ka时间序列与路面表面温度相结合来评估路面表面结冰的可能性。所开发的结冰传感器和信号分析算法可用于刚性和柔性路面结冰情况的实时监测。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Cold Regions Science and Technology 工程技术-地球科学综合

CiteScore

7.40

自引率

12.20%

发文量

209

审稿时长

4.9 months

期刊介绍： Cold Regions Science and Technology is an international journal dealing with the science and technical problems of cold environments in both the polar regions and more temperate locations. It includes fundamental aspects of cryospheric sciences which have applications for cold regions problems as well as engineering topics which relate to the cryosphere. Emphasis is given to applied science with broad coverage of the physical and mechanical aspects of ice (including glaciers and sea ice), snow and snow avalanches, ice-water systems, ice-bonded soils and permafrost. Relevant aspects of Earth science, materials science, offshore and river ice engineering are also of primary interest. These include icing of ships and structures as well as trafficability in cold environments. Technological advances for cold regions in research, development, and engineering practice are relevant to the journal. Theoretical papers must include a detailed discussion of the potential application of the theory to address cold regions problems. The journal serves a wide range of specialists, providing a medium for interdisciplinary communication and a convenient source of reference.