Optical sensor detects levels of roadway salt to avoid excess application

摘要

An optical sensor that detects, in real time, the amount of residual salt on a dry road surface has been designed by engineers at Carlos Ⅲ University in Madrid (Madrid, Spain). It is common to spread salt on roads to prevent ice and the traffic hazards that result from freezing rain and snow. This preventive treatment is based on weather forecasts, but does not take into account current salt content on the road from applications during previous icy conditions. The technology helps to avoid excessive salt spreading, which can harm vehicles, infrastructure, and the environment. According to the engineers, monitoring the road surface's residual salt concentration along an entire stretch of highway facilitates the integration of salinity measurements with automatic spreader controls, which enables more accurate chemical application rates as well as targeted chemical placement, and helps to avoid overapplication.