Electrical resistance heating for deicing and snow melting applications: Experimental study

Abstract In this study, a novel electrical resistance heating method for deicing and snow melting applications was investigated. Three different forms of carbon fiber were embedded into concrete specimens and their heating performances were tested. To simulate the condition of concrete exposed to low temperatures, an environmental chamber was utilized. The effect of various parameters such as heat power density, ambient temperature, heating panel installment depth, concrete moisture and form of carbon fibers on temperature changes was investigated. Experimental results showed that carbon fiber electrical heating can offer viable solution for icing and snow accumulation problems. Compared to other heated pavement systems, it has relatively lower installment and material cost. The power densities of a heating system should be designed depending on a specific application. Otherwise, successful deicing operation may not be guaranteed. Using carbon fiber in cable form provides many advantages compared to using woven and unidirectional carbon fabrics. Placing heat panels close to concrete surface affected heating performance positively but long term integrity of heat panels may be affected by placing them very close to the surface. Even though some decrement was observed, moisture in concrete did not significantly degrade the heating performance.