Analyzing and improving the thermal performance of road network weighing stations through measurements and CFD modeling
Weighing stations ensure the safety and durability of road infrastructures. In cold climates, weighing stations are heated to melt accumulated snow and maintain an adequate operating temperature, resulting in significant energy consumption. The objective of this work is to understand the heat transf...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Case Studies in Thermal Engineering |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X25008032 |
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| author | Mohammadreza Tohidi Jean Rouleau Louis Gosselin |
| author_facet | Mohammadreza Tohidi Jean Rouleau Louis Gosselin |
| author_sort | Mohammadreza Tohidi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Weighing stations ensure the safety and durability of road infrastructures. In cold climates, weighing stations are heated to melt accumulated snow and maintain an adequate operating temperature, resulting in significant energy consumption. The objective of this work is to understand the heat transfer and airflow within weighing stations and identify potential improvements. A CFD model was developed and validated, based on measurements in a weighing station in Quebec City, Canada. Then, three performance metrics were defined to assess thermal uniformity inside the pit, the heat flux available for snow melting, and the amount of heat losses. A parametric study was performed by varying the heater configuration and capacity, as well as the airtightness of the pit, to identify the most influential variables. Results showed that the heat losses due to airflow through the different gaps in the station were dominant, representing around 54 % of the heat input in the current situation. Adopting a new configuration (more heaters of smaller capacity) and improving airtightness significantly improved thermal performance under simulated conditions. The methods and results from this paper are useful to engineers who design, maintain, operate and renovate weighing stations and other similar heat transfer systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a305a345f33b4f30847ab210bd3e59e2 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2214-157X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Case Studies in Thermal Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-a305a345f33b4f30847ab210bd3e59e22025-08-20T02:35:06ZengElsevierCase Studies in Thermal Engineering2214-157X2025-09-017310654310.1016/j.csite.2025.106543Analyzing and improving the thermal performance of road network weighing stations through measurements and CFD modelingMohammadreza Tohidi0Jean Rouleau1Louis Gosselin2Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, CanadaDepartment of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, CanadaCorresponding author.; Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, CanadaWeighing stations ensure the safety and durability of road infrastructures. In cold climates, weighing stations are heated to melt accumulated snow and maintain an adequate operating temperature, resulting in significant energy consumption. The objective of this work is to understand the heat transfer and airflow within weighing stations and identify potential improvements. A CFD model was developed and validated, based on measurements in a weighing station in Quebec City, Canada. Then, three performance metrics were defined to assess thermal uniformity inside the pit, the heat flux available for snow melting, and the amount of heat losses. A parametric study was performed by varying the heater configuration and capacity, as well as the airtightness of the pit, to identify the most influential variables. Results showed that the heat losses due to airflow through the different gaps in the station were dominant, representing around 54 % of the heat input in the current situation. Adopting a new configuration (more heaters of smaller capacity) and improving airtightness significantly improved thermal performance under simulated conditions. The methods and results from this paper are useful to engineers who design, maintain, operate and renovate weighing stations and other similar heat transfer systems.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X25008032Heat transferCFD modelingEnergy performanceHeat lossesOptimization |
| spellingShingle | Mohammadreza Tohidi Jean Rouleau Louis Gosselin Analyzing and improving the thermal performance of road network weighing stations through measurements and CFD modeling Case Studies in Thermal Engineering Heat transfer CFD modeling Energy performance Heat losses Optimization |
| title | Analyzing and improving the thermal performance of road network weighing stations through measurements and CFD modeling |
| title_full | Analyzing and improving the thermal performance of road network weighing stations through measurements and CFD modeling |
| title_fullStr | Analyzing and improving the thermal performance of road network weighing stations through measurements and CFD modeling |
| title_full_unstemmed | Analyzing and improving the thermal performance of road network weighing stations through measurements and CFD modeling |
| title_short | Analyzing and improving the thermal performance of road network weighing stations through measurements and CFD modeling |
| title_sort | analyzing and improving the thermal performance of road network weighing stations through measurements and cfd modeling |
| topic | Heat transfer CFD modeling Energy performance Heat losses Optimization |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X25008032 |
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