A Full-Scale Test on Enhancing the Thermal Performance of a Concrete Slab Embedded with a MWCNT Heating Module Exposed to an Outdoor Environment

Abstract

The aberrant winter temperatures resulting from climatic shifts give rise to the formation of imperceptible black ice on road surfaces, posing a risk of accidents. In this study, a carbon nanotube (CNT)-based heating module was fabricated, embedded in a concrete slab, and subjected to a full-scale test in an outdoor environment. Preliminary tests were conducted to scrutinize the thermal behavior of the CNT heating modules applied to the concrete slab, considering the inter-module distance and the concentration of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in the concrete perimeter. A full-scale concrete slab was fabricated on the basis of the preliminary test results. Thermal performance analyses of the concrete perimeter were performed according to the MWCNT concentration, the distance between the MWCNT heating modules, and the supply voltage based on a full-scale test conducted in an outdoor environment. The full-scale test results indicated that the maximum temperature variation of the MWCNT heating module embedded concrete slab was 46.8 °C, and its thermal performance varied by 1.9 times depending on the concentration of MWCNTs in the concrete perimeter.