Page 22 - Jan-Feb2019

KNOXVILLE By Kathleen Gibi
De-Icing Device Demonstrated

Through unanticipated— Above, from left to right: Chad Weth, Public Service
and yet appropriate—snow Director, City of Knoxville; Nick Bradshaw, Deputy
flurries, City of Knoxville staff Director Fleet Services, City of Knoxville; Femi Omitaomu,
demonstrated a new de-icing ORNL; Jeff Johnston, Fleet Manager, City of Knoxville;
device made possible by Oak Chris Webster, Public Service Area Manager, City of
Ridge National Laboratory and Knoxville; Selin Anitsal, Andrew Elmlinger, Alicia Bauman,
the University of Tennessee, Tucker Youngblood (students); Tony Jarmusz, Product
Knoxville at the City’s Public Development Coach for the team; Ernest Cadotte; and
Works Service Center on Kevin Homan, System Engineer for the project.
December 5, 2018. The device Left: Kevin Homan with the system tablet he designed.
will help to more efficiently
and effectively regulate brine
distribution on the road during
snowy weather.

The novel approach features
a variable control mechanism
designed for the dispenser on
the brine trucks to optimize the
amount of melting, or de-icing,
agent applied to roads. This
technique minimizes waste and
increases available supply as
roads are treated.

The three-component
prototype will use a tablet to
read LiDAR (Light Detection

22 TPW January/February 2019