Can induction heating be used for rapid melting of snow?
OK, every now and then I get a completely random idea. Plague of my life, my head is filled up with so much junk and it’s always on the go that I’m always thinking of things. Today’s curse. I already know of induction heating and given that the country is snowed under I wondered if it could be applied to snow removal instead of using a load of rock salt + sand.
The theory is snow ploughs could be retrofitted with a huge ass induction looop that has a focussed heat around the plough section. The plough then pushes up and collects all the snow as it drives, and the massive heat of the induction loop melts the ice as it forms, basically turning all the snow into water. Which can then run down the drains.
This would clear any issues with snow and just result in the drainage system having to get rid of crap loads of water. It should in theory save money on rock salt that is taken out of yearly budgets. Although I don’t know how much an induction heater would cost, but given it’s basically a huge electrical current over low voltage passed through a copper wire, generating a magnetic field full of heat I should think it would be cheaper overall.
Anyway, that’s a rambling thought of mine for the day, I’d love to see it applied into practice. Hell, I might even do it as a DIY project at some stage, would be a nice little thing to carry around instead of a snow shovel, just walk around and melt all the bloody snow on your drive before it can be compacted to ice. Let it drain away overnight and nothing freezes, resulting in constantly clear roads.
This wouldn’t work in countries like Sweden because they’re full of snow, but in countries like the UK which gets random spouts of almost everything it would become a good backup solution when we run into shortages. Heck, induction heating could be the way forward if you could bake a temperature high enough and could waterproof the electrics. Stick a giant amount of heat (2000+’c) into a lake or puddle across the road and it could probably rapidly get rid of all the water
If anyone has any thoughts on this feel free to add them, I know melting technology already exists for driveways etc, I’m just thinking of it more on a widescale use and I’d be interested in hearing thoughts or opinions.
