Development of snow removal system using embedded pipes inside road with solar thermal energy collector and packed bed latent heat thermal energy storage

To enhance winter safety for drivers and pedestrians, this study developed and assessed an efficient snow removal system. Utilizing a packed bed latent heat thermal energy storage system with a solar thermal energy collector and phase change material (PCM), the research demonstrated performance over sensible thermal energy storage, offering increased storage capacity, isothermal characteristics, and efficient charging and discharging processes. In this study, a packed bed PCM container was proposed for the improved heat transfer performance of latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES). The heat and fluid flow inside LHTES was numerically and experimentally analyzed for the optimization. The snow removal system comprised solar thermal energy collectors, a packed bed LHTES, and concrete pavement. As a results, the phase change material temperature increases from 30 °C to 75 °C during a 27-hour charging process, accumulating 58 MJ of thermal energy. The system's snow removal effectiveness was validated in an experiment, affirming the efficient transfer of stored heat to melt 10 cm-thick snow at −5 to 13 °C. Notably, no snow accumulation occurred on the concrete pavement surface. •A packed bed LHTES with packed bed PCM container is introduced for the thermal energy storage.•Melting state of the phase change material was verified using a shadow-graphic method.•The solar collectors were utilized to store thermal energy and 58 MJ of thermal energy was stored in the LHTES.•Solar energy discharge increased concrete pavement temperature by 30 °C.•In a field test in a snowfall environment, the pavement stayed above 2 °C, proving effective snow removal.