JP6454483B2 - Snow protection system with snow melting function - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a snowproof system in which a snowmelt fence (sometimes referred to as a snowproof / windproof fence) installed for the purpose of road traffic safety in a snowy area is provided with a snow melting function.

  Snow fences used in snowfall areas have been devised in various ways to ensure road traffic safety so as not to accumulate snow on the road surface and to reduce visibility problems. The snow fence includes a blow-off fence, a blow-off fence, a blow-off fence, etc., and the basic structure of the blow-off fence, which is a typical fence among them, is shown in Non-Patent Document 1 (FIG. 6). reference).

  A blow-off fence is a snow fence that controls the wind with a snow-proof plate and can mitigate visibility problems by blowing off snow on the roadside and road surface with a strong wind that is accelerated from the lower gap of the fence. is there. In order to maintain the function of the fence, it is important to keep the lower gap always open, and in regions where there is a lot of snowfall, there is a problem that the lower gap is covered with snow, making it easier to accumulate on the road surface. It has been pointed out that efforts must be made to secure the lower gap. However, it has been pointed out that it is difficult to remove the snow from the lower gap closed by snow.

  A specific example of a blow-off fence is shown in Patent Document 1 (see FIG. 7). The snow-prevention plates 2 are arranged so as to be evenly bridged in parallel in several steps in the vertical direction between the pillars 1 standing at regular intervals (usually about 3.5 to 4.0 m). It is attached to the said support | pillar 1 so that it can rotate centering on the horizontal axis core 21 of this. In addition, a spacing member 12 is bridged between the upper ends of adjacent struts so that the strut spacing is always maintained. A single link bar 3 is provided along the column 1, and the link bar 3 is loosely fitted at a position away from the horizontal axis 21 at each end of the snow protection plate 2. The angle of each snow protection plate 2 changes in synchronism with the up and down movement of.

  In the blow-off fence shown in Patent Document 1, a solar cell panel 4 is further fitted on one side which is the upper surface of the snow protection plate 2, and a terminal box 22 is provided on each snow protection plate 2, so that the solar cell panel 4 through the terminal box 22, lead wires for leading to an external power receiver are wired through the frame of the snow protection plate 2.

  In Patent Document 1, by attaching such a solar cell panel, it is possible to generate solar power efficiently by receiving sunlight from the southeast surface over the full season while having a snowproof function in winter. In addition, the power can be effectively used for nearby facilities and commercial power sources. In addition, by using a transparent plate that contains solar cells with double-sided power generation specifications, the snow protection plate can generate power with reflected light from the ground received on the lower surface of the snow protection plate, so it reflects on the snow surface even during the snowy season. Power generation can be obtained by strong light. In addition, places where snow fences are installed often do not have commercial power, and on the other hand, they are excellent in sunshine, so their power generation capacity is high and the value of using that power is also high. That is, by installing an illumination light, a self-luminous safety facility, etc. in the vicinity and supplying electric power, it is possible to run a car safely and prevent traffic accidents.

Japanese Patent No. 3958518 (FIG. 2)

Civil Engineering Research Laboratories, National Institute of Civil Engineers Road snowstorm countermeasure manual (revised in 2011, issued in March 2011) [P3-2-13-14]

  The blow-off fence shown in Non-Patent Document 1 has a problem that if the lower gap is covered with snow, the road blow-off capability cannot be maintained. In order to maintain the blow-off capability of this blow-off fence, it is necessary to remove snow that has closed the lower gap with a snow remover and human power, but it may not be removed in reality because of the expense and labor costs . If a large amount of snow is generated in a short period of time, snow removal may not be in time. Therefore, a situation occurs in which the blowing ability inherent in the blowing fence cannot be maintained, and there may be a problem that road traffic safety cannot be ensured in winter.

In view of such circumstances, the present invention removes the snow in the vicinity of the snow fence by melting it, maintains the original function of the snow fence even in a situation where snow removal is not possible or impossible, and improves road traffic safety in winter. The provision of a snow protection system that can be secured was set as an issue to be solved.

The inventors of the present invention have arrived at the present invention as a result of intensive studies on the above problems.
The present invention provides a snow protection system provided with a plurality of support posts on the ground to be snow protected, and provided with a snow protection fence in which a plurality of snow protection plates are bridged between the support posts and the support posts at the top of the support posts.
The snow prevention system includes a solar cell module provided on the snow prevention plate, and a snow melting body incorporating an electric heater for melting the snow accumulated in the lower part of the snow prevention fence,
The electric heater built in the snow melting body is heated by the electric power generated by the solar cell to enable melting of the snow accumulated on the ground.

  In the snow fence, a plurality of snow plates are spanned between the pillars in the upper part of the pillar, and a snow fence having a gap between the pillars and the pillar is provided in the lower part of the pillar. A ground fence may be sufficient and the ground which should be snow-prevented may be a road side end (roadside).

  As the solar cell module, a general single-sided solar cell can be used, but a double-sided light receiving type may be used.

It is preferable that the snow melting body incorporates the electric heater, and the electric heater can use a general heating element having a snow melting function. In particular, the conductive fiber described in Japanese Patent No. 512983 is used. A planar heating element may be used.

  The planar heating element may be a snow melting mat disposed on the ground below the snow fence. The snow melting mat has a shape (preferably a flat shape) that can be installed on the ground, has a heating means inside, and has a snow melting function. Furthermore, you may provide the fixing tool for fixing the said snow melting mat to the ground. The fixing tool may be integrated with the support column.

  As the snow melting body, it is preferable to use a snow melting body with a specification that exerts a herbicidal function when installed on the ground. The electric heater can be of a specification that exhibits not only a snow melting function but also a weedproof function.

  According to the snow protection system of the present invention, electric power is supplied from a solar cell installed on a snow protection plate to a snow melting body having an electric heater built therein, and the snow accumulated in the lower part of the snow protection fence can be melted. As a result, snow is removed and the original function of the snow fence can be maintained, and road traffic safety in winter can be ensured.

  Since the snow protection plate attached to the snow fence is often installed approximately 60 ° to 90 ° from the horizontal with respect to the ground, the single-sided solar cell module cannot receive enough sunlight and does not generate electricity. However, as a preferred embodiment of the snow protection system according to the present invention, the use of the double-sided light receiving solar cell module can reduce the time period during which no power is generated.

  In the snow protection system according to the present invention, it is possible to use a nichrome wire heater, which is a general-purpose linear heating element, as an electric heater. However, as a preferred embodiment, a planar heating element is used (for example, Japanese Patent No. 5129983). (Surface heating element described in the publication) Since the heat can be uniformly supplied to the snow cover, the snow cover can be melted and removed more efficiently.

  Furthermore, a grass protection member is often installed on the ground in the vicinity of the snow fence, but in the snow protection system according to the present invention, a snow melting body (planar heating element) disposed on the ground is used as the grass protection member. This eliminates the need to prepare and construct a separate weed protection member, reducing the weeding work in summer.

It is the perspective view which looked at the snow protection system which concerns on the embodiment of this invention from the road side. It is the perspective view which looked at the snow protection system which concerns on the embodiment of this invention from the windward side. It is a side view of the snow protection system which concerns on the embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the snowproof board with a built-in double-sided light-receiving solar cell module according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the perspective view seen from the windward side of the snow protection system which concerns on the embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline of a blow-off fence. (A) is a front view showing an example of a blow-off fence shown in Document 1, and (B) is a side view showing an example of a blow-off fence shown in Patent Document 1.

(Snow protection system)
The snow protection system according to the present invention includes (1) a plurality of support columns provided on the ground to be protected from snow, and a plurality of snow protection plates are spanned between the support columns in the upper part of the support columns, and a lower part of the support columns. Then, with a snow fence with a gap between the columns and the columns,
(2) a solar cell module provided on the snow plate,
(3) a snow melting body with an electric heater for melting the snow accumulated in the lower part of the snow fence, and the electric power generated by the solar cell is incorporated in the snow melting body. The electric heater is heated and the snow accumulated on the ground is melted.

(Snow fence)
As defined in Non-Patent Document 1, a snow fence is a snow board made of a material such as a steel plate to prevent snow blowing, and controls the wind speed and wind flow before and after the fence (windward and leeward). , A snowstorm facility that aims to prevent snowdrifts on the road and ease visibility, and types of snowbreak fences include a snowstorm fence, a blowout fence, a blowout fence, and a blowout prevention fence. In the present specification, typical blow-off fences will be specifically described. However, it is not limited to the blow-off fence.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1-3 show an example of a snow protection system according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical blow-off fence as a snow fence in the snow protection system according to the present invention as seen from the road side, FIG. 2 is a perspective view seen from the windward side, and FIG. 3 is a side view. is there.
In FIGS. 1 to 3, four snow protection plates 102 and 103 are spanned on a pillar 101 to form a snow fence, and the upper two snow protection plates 102 include a double-sided light receiving solar cell module. The two lower snow-prevention plates 103 are ordinary snow-prevention plates. In this drawing, the double-sided light-receiving solar cell module built-in snow protection plate 102 and the snow protection plate 103 are composed of two pieces each. However, since the necessary power varies depending on the installation situation, the necessary solar module also varies. . Therefore, this number configuration is merely an example.
In the snow prevention system of the present invention, electricity generated by the solar cell attached to the snow protection plate 102 is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 in order to prevent snowfall or snow accumulation from blocking the lower gap of the snow fence. As shown in the figure, the lower gap can be secured by supplying the snow melting body (built-in electric heater such as a planar heating element) 104 provided at the lower part of the snow fence to melt the snow.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the double-sided light-receiving solar cell module built-in snow plate 102 and the normal snow plate 103 are fixed to the support column 101 at about 20 ° (about 70 ° from the horizontal). Although this is a general angle as a blow-off fence, it is not limited to this angle and may be a variable angle type. Further, the lower gap, which is the distance between the lowermost part of the snow protection plate 103 and the ground, is usually about 1200 mm, which is also a general distance as a blow-off fence, but is appropriately selected according to the situation of the installation location.

(Solar cell module)
In the present invention, the solar cell module can receive light from both sides and generate electric power, for example, so that one surface can directly receive sunlight and the other surface can receive scattered light. Since the power generation efficiency as a solar cell can be increased as compared with the solar cell, a double-sided light receiving type is preferably used. FIG. 4 shows the structure of the snow plate 2 with a double-sided light-receiving solar cell module. The snow plate 102 with a built-in double-sided light-receiving solar cell module includes a double-sided light-receiving solar cell module 1021, a frame 1022, and a power cord 1023. The electricity generated by the solar cell is conducted by a snow melting body, which will be described later, to remove the snow accumulation at the bottom of the blow-off fence and to maintain the situation where the lower gap is not blocked, ensuring road traffic safety in winter can do. In addition, when the amount of power generated by the solar cell cannot cover the required power of the snow melting body, it may be used together with the power from the external power source, or when it is necessary to supply to the snow melting body as in the summer Alternatively, the power generated by the solar cell may be supplied to the outside.

(Connection between solar cell module and snowmelter built-in electric heater)
The double-sided solar cell module built-in snow plate 102 and the snow melting body (with built-in electric heater) 104 are connected by a power cord, and the electric power generated by the double-sided photo solar cell module built-in snow plate 102 is An electric heater (planar heating element or the like) generates heat, and the snow in contact with the snow melting body 104 is heated. With this heat, it is possible to melt and remove the snow accumulated at the bottom of the blow-off fence.

In addition, MPPT (maximum power point tracking device) can be inserted between the solar module and the electric heater to maximize the generated power, and a DC / DC converter is connected between the MPPT and the electric heater. In addition, the voltage supplied to the electric heater can be optimized according to the specification of the electric heater. Further, a charge / discharge controller linked to the storage battery can be connected between the MPPT and the DC / DC converter, and the power coming from the MPPT can be supplied to the DC / DC converter or the storage battery as necessary. The electric power stored in the storage battery can be used by connecting to an external load body as necessary, and at that time, the electric power can be used to the external load body in a timely manner through a timer. In addition, the electric heater can be energized in a timely manner via a timer during the connection from the DC / DC converter to the electric heater.
In addition, if there is a power system around this system, it is possible to reverse power flow by connecting the system via a power conditioner, and it is possible to supply power to the electric heater even during non-sunshine, including at night. it can.

(Snow melting body)
If the snow melting body 104 constituting the snow protection system according to the present invention has a function of melting the snow accumulated in the lower part of the snow protection fence by the electric power from the solar cell module, its structure, installation location (on the ground, around the support column) , Slide down from the bottom of the bottom snow protection board, etc.) and shape (long objects that cover the ground below the snow fence, short objects that can be joined together to form a snow melting body of appropriate dimensions) However, a planar heating element having a planar shape is preferably disposed on the ground where the snow fence is installed.
The snow melting body 104 is composed of an electric heater (heating element) that generates heat by the electric power from the solar cell module and a waterproof covering material that covers the electric heater.

(Heating element)
As the heating element built in the snow melting body 104, a nichrome wire is wired on a paper or sheet, a sheet heating element using a radiant heating element (infrared ray), or a substrate such as a film or sheet is heated. Conductive material coated with conductive particles such as carbon black as a body, coated or printed with ink, etc., conductive sheet impregnated with resin in fibers containing carbon fiber as an essential component, conductive coated with conductive particles, etc. These are used as heating elements incorporated in the snow melting body in the present invention, and are composed of a net fabric including organic fibers covered with carbon nanotubes. The planar heating element is preferably used in the present invention because it is a planar heating element that generates heat uniformly over a wide area and has excellent flexibility and bending fatigue resistance. Due to the uniform heat generation, heat conduction to the object is more uniform than in the case of a conventional linear heating element such as nichrome, so that it is possible to exhibit an efficient snow melting function particularly in snow melting applications.

The planar heating element using the conductive fibers is composed of a heat generating part formed of a knitted fabric containing conductive fibers and an electrode part for energizing the heat generating part. The conductive fiber includes an organic fiber and a carbon nanotube that covers the surface of the organic fiber. The proportion of the carbon nanotubes may be about 0.1 to 50 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the organic fiber. The organic fiber may be composed of at least one selected from the group consisting of a polyester resin, a polyamide resin, a polyolefin resin, and an acrylic resin. The conductive fiber may be a multifilament yarn or spun yarn having a single yarn fineness of 11 dtex or less. The conductive fiber may be a fiber in which an organic fiber is immersed in a dispersion containing carbon nanotubes while vibrating the organic fiber, and the conductive layer is attached to the surface of the organic fiber. A linear electrical resistance value at 20 ° C. of the conductive fiber may be about 1 × 10 ⁻¹ to 1 × 10 ⁵ Ω / cm. The knitted fabric may be a woven fabric composed of warps composed of polyester fibers and weft composed of conductive polyester fibers. The knitted fabric may be a knitted fabric made of conductive polyester fiber covered with an insulating layer except for a portion in contact with the electrode portion.

  The electrode portion is made of a conductive material that can be energized, and is not particularly limited as long as it has conductivity, and may be a carbon material, ceramic, or the like, but usually a metal is used. Examples of metals include periodic table group 6A metals such as tungsten, periodic table group 7A metals such as manganese, periodic table group 8 metals such as iron, nickel, cobalt and platinum, and periodic periods such as copper, silver and gold. Table 1B metal, periodic table 2B metal such as zinc, periodic table 3B metal such as aluminum, periodic table 4B metal such as tin and lead, periodic table 5B metal such as bismuth, etc. It is done. Among these metals, metals such as chromium, nickel, copper, silver, gold, and aluminum are widely used. The shape of the electrode part can be appropriately selected according to the shape of the heat generating part, and is not particularly limited, but is usually disposed at both ends of the heat generating part which is a rectangular sheet, and thus is a strip or a line (fiber or rod shape) ). The size of the electrode part can be selected according to the shape of the heat generating part.

(Coating material)
Examples of the covering material include a covering material made of hydrophobic resin, rubber, metal foil, and the like. A sheet-like covering material covers the heating element to constitute a snow melting body.
By using a sheet with excellent light shielding properties, flexibility, weather resistance, and anti-slip properties, the coating material is in close contact with the uneven surface and blocks the light, thereby providing long-term herbicidal function. It is possible to walk safely without slipping even if a person rides on it. For this reason, weed propagation in summer can be prevented, and maintenance for weeding is reduced. In addition, it is not necessary to purchase a grass protection panel that must be purchased separately, and the cost can be reduced. Examples of the sheet include a soft vinyl chloride resin sheet, a polyolefin sheet, and a polyester sheet.

(Weeding function by energization)
The above snow melting body (planar heating element) exhibits a snow melting function when there is snow, but when energized heat is generated when there is no snow, it promotes the evaporation of moisture in the ground. In addition to the effect, it can also exhibit the ability to more effectively prevent weeds from breeding.

In the snow protection system of the present invention, the above-mentioned snow melting body (planar heating element) is preferably disposed on the ground, but is preferably firmly fixed on the ground so as not to move due to strong winds or the like. As a fixing tool for the snow melting body to the ground, a support base for the support for attaching the snow prevention plate may be used as a pressing plate for restricting the lifting of the snow melting body. And a pressing tool having an anchor portion driven into the ground.
FIG. 5 shows an example in which the snow melting body (planar heating element) 104 is fixed by the fixing base 105 of the support column 101.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example demonstrates this invention in detail, this invention is not limited at all by this Example.

(Snow protection system)
Experiments were carried out by installing the snow protection system of the type shown in Fig. 1 (road side), Fig. 2 (windward side) and Fig. 3 (side view) in the southeast direction on the site of Riken Kogyo Co., Ltd. . In addition to examining the snowmelt situation in winter, we confirmed the herbicidal effect of snowmelt in summer.

(Solar cell module)
A total of four double-sided light-receiving solar cell modules (SEBB 36-156B, width 768 mm, length 1525 mm, manufactured by PVG Solutions) were installed on each of the two upper snow protection plates 102 of the snow fence. Four double-sided light-receiving solar cell modules are connected in series to have a capacity of 0.64 kW at a power generation peak and a voltage of 74.8 V, and this is connected to a snow melting body (planar heating element) 104 and can be energized as appropriate. The connector was installed as follows.

(Snow melting body)
As a planar heating element, first, “CNTEC” 240T48 (240 dtex, 950 Ω / cm) manufactured by Kuraray Living Co., Ltd. was placed on the weft, and polyester processed yarn (Kuraray Trading Co., Ltd., 167 dtex / 48 filament) was placed on the warp. A plain weave fabric with a weft density of 60 / inch was used, and an electrode was connected to the fabric to form a fabric heating element with a watt density of 250 W / m ² at an applied voltage of 75 cm in width, 295 cm in length, and 75 V. Further, this was sealed with a polyvinyl chloride sheet, and a non-slip sheet (Ronmat ME Jasper JP-27, manufactured by Ron Seal Co., Ltd.) was attached to the surface to obtain a snow melting body 104 having a width of 80 cm and a length of 300 cm. Ron mat adopted as an anti-slip sheet is a sheet made of polyvinyl chloride having excellent light shielding properties, flexibility, and weather resistance.
The snow melting body 104 was disposed on the ground below the snow fence and fixed by the fixing base 105 of the support column 101 standing at intervals of 3.5 m (see FIG. 5).

(Experimental result)
Electric power generated by solar power generation was applied to the snow melting body (planar heating element) 104, and the snow melting situation and the weed prevention situation were observed for one year. The results for each month are shown in Table 1.

  As shown in Table 1, when solar cell power is applied to a snow melting body (planar heating element), in November, December, April and April, there is no remaining snow on a sunny day, confirming good snow melting conditions. did. In January and February during the severe winter season, it was confirmed that there was no snow remaining due to energization during several days of fine weather, although there was temporary snow accumulation. In addition, weeds were not generated from the ground covered with a snow melting body (planar heating element) throughout the year, and especially in summer, there was an effect of drying the ground with the planar heating element, and good weed prevention performance was confirmed.

  The snow prevention system according to the present invention can have a function of melting the snow accumulated in the lower part of the snow fence, and in particular, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the function of the blow fence is lost due to snow accumulation in the lower part of the blow fence. Therefore, it has the feature that it can always maintain its function, and thus has industrial applicability.

  As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, various additions, modifications, or deletions are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and such modifications are also included in the scope of the present invention. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Support | pillar 2 Snowproof board 3 Link bar 4 Solar cell panel 12 Spacing material 21 Horizontal axis 22 Terminal box 101 Support | pillar 102 Double-sided light reception type solar cell module built-in snowproof plate 1021 Double-sided light reception type solar cell module 1022 Frame 1023 Power cord 103 Snowproof plate 104 Snow melting body 105 fixed base

Claims (9)

In the snow protection system provided with a plurality of support pillars on the ground to be snow protected, and at the top of the support pillar, a snow protection fence in which a plurality of snow protection plates are spanned between the support pillars in a fence shape,
The snow prevention system includes a solar cell module provided on the snow prevention plate, and a snow melting body incorporating an electric heater for melting snow accumulated near the bottom of the snow prevention fence,
The snow melting body is disposed on the ground,
The power that is more power in the solar battery, said electric heater built in the snow melting member is heated, a snow system characterized by enabling the melting of the snow is snow on the snow melting member ,
The snow melting member has a planar heating element made of knitted and electrodes for energizing woven containing conductive fibers as the electric heaters, it is made of a sheet-like covering material that covers the planar heating element,
Snow protection system.   In the snow fence, a plurality of snow plates are spanned between the pillars in the upper part of the pillar, and a snow fence having a gap between the pillars and the pillar is provided in the lower part of the pillar. The snow prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the snow prevention system is a pay fence.   The snow prevention system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ground to be snow-prevented is a road side end.   The snowproof system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the solar cell module is a double-sided light receiving type.   The snow-prevention system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the planar heating element is a snow-melting mat disposed on the ground near the bottom of the snow-prevention fence.   The snow prevention system according to claim 5, further comprising a fixture for fixing the snow melting mat to the ground.   The snowproof system according to claim 6, wherein the fixture is integrated with the support column.   The snowproof system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the snowmelt body has a grassproof function.   The snow protection system according to claim 8, wherein the snow melting body has a grass prevention function by heat generation.

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