Improvement in Anti-Icing Performance of Electromagnetic Induction Heating through Optimization of Energy Transfer in Asphalt Pavement

Icing on the road is a serious problem affecting vehicle driving and road durability. Therefore, it is critical to take effective measures to inhibit the degree of road icing. Currently, electromagnetic induction heating pavements offer an effective solution to address road icing issues. However, the low efficiency of magnetic energy utilization results in significant energy losses during the heating process. To tackle this, the paper proposes a novel pavement structure design and optimizes the conversion of magnetic energy to electrical energy, improving energy utilization and enhancing the deicing efficiency of electromagnetic heating pavement. The heating evaluation and energy improvement rate indexes were proposed to evaluate the ice melting of electromagnetic induction heating, and the effects of ferrite content, type, and thickness on ice melting performance were also compared and analyzed. The results show that a magnetic permeable layer at the bottom of asphalt concrete can improve the heating efficiency and ice melting performance, and the average heating efficiency and energy increase rate both enhance as the amounts of ferrite increases. The increase of magnetic permeable layer thickness also improves the induction heating and ice melting performance. In addition, the properties of magnetically permeable materials are the key factors affecting heating and deicing, and the heating and ice melting performance of nickel-zinc ferrite is always greater than that of manganese-zinc ferrite. All in all, this research could provide inspiration for the icy road community.