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Meeting ID: 913 5518 3261
Passcode: 157101

Combining active, passive, and administrative techniques for snow accumulation prediction, prevention, and removal

Snow accumulation causes major safety concerns in the transportation industry such as from dangerous shedding of wet snow from bridge cables, and from blockage of sensors, camera lenses, LIDARs, and RADARs in semi or full autonomous vehicles (AVs). Snow accumulation can also reduce power generation efficiency in solar panels and wind turbines.

In this talk, various active, passive, and administrative techniques are discussed to mitigate these snow accumulation issues. First, a numerical model is developed utilizing weather data to predict the shape and thickness of snow accumulation on bridge cables and their shedding behavior. This model is coupled with an experimental study and a novel snow/ice detection sensor to assist bridge operators in optimally utilizing their active systems for mitigation of snow issues. Next, two different navigators are designed to actively prevent snow accumulation on AV visual sensors via airflow across the lens surface, and I will also present results of a passive method that facilitates snow removal from solar panels. Finally, I will discuss how a combination of passive, active, and administrative strategies provide foreseeable means to address such snow accumulation issues.

Hosted by Professors Erland Schulson and Ian Baker.

About the Speaker(s)

Hossein Sojoudi
Professor of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering, U Toledo

Hossein Sojoudi is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Toledo (UT). Prior to UT, he was a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a joint appointment in chemical engineering. Hossein obtained his PhD in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, has served as keynote speaker at over 20 universities and international conferences, and has more than 60 journal publications with >3900 citations and four US patents. His work has been cited in scientific and popular media such as Georgia Tech News, MIT News, UT News, and Forbes. His research on atmospheric icing is funded by various companies and government agencies such as Clearway, Vena Energy, Ford Motor Company, Ohio Department of Transportation, NSF, and DOE. Sojoudi is a recipient of the 2022 President's Award for Excellence in Creative and Scholarly Activity, the 2021 Excellence in Research Award from UT COE, and the 2020 Excellence in Supervision of Undergraduate Research Award from UT COE.

Contact

For more information, contact Amos Johnson at amos.l.johnson@dartmouth.edu.