Patent attributes
Disclosed in this invention is a method and device for de-icing, snow melting and thawing frozen ground. The invention is based on warm moisture-laden air that can be blown over the surface to be iced or thawed or it can be introduced into an enclosed area where de-icing, ground thawing or snow melting is desired. The device consists of three components: a hot water or a steam boiler with an associated pump; a plenum for heating and humidifying air; and a delivery unit or head that brings the moisture-laden air into contact with the surface to be de-iced or thawed. In one embodiment the boiler is replaced by a direct fired burner. The delivery unit may be an air blanket with multiple perforations attached to an air duct or an inverted saucer-like delivery head likewise attached to an air duct, coming from the plenum or it can be simply an enclosed space in which is located the object to be de-iced or thawed and into which the hot moisture-laden air is conducted.
