diff --git a/.obsidian/workspace.json b/.obsidian/workspace.json index a5a3dfa..629d14e 100644 --- a/.obsidian/workspace.json +++ b/.obsidian/workspace.json @@ -13,12 +13,12 @@ "state": { "type": "markdown", "state": { - "file": "Shop/SHOP-PUNCHLIST.md", + "file": "Stephen's Salt Idea.md", "mode": "source", "source": false }, "icon": "lucide-file", - "title": "SHOP-PUNCHLIST" + "title": "Stephen's Salt Idea" } } ], @@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ }, "active": "9b0b3e8895143802", "lastOpenFiles": [ + "Shop/SHOP-PUNCHLIST.md", "27Oct2025.md", "Shopping List.md", "Stephen's Salt Idea.md", @@ -178,7 +179,6 @@ "Habits and Orarion.md", "Amazon Running Returns List.md", "28OCT2025.md", - "Shop/SHOP-PUNCHLIST.md", "Shop/Wishlist for writerdeck.md", "stockcropper/SC-PUNCHLIST.md", "stockcropper/stockcropper.md", diff --git a/Stephen's Salt Idea.md b/Stephen's Salt Idea.md index ab59986..c9db0d8 100644 --- a/Stephen's Salt Idea.md +++ b/Stephen's Salt Idea.md @@ -1,7 +1,64 @@ -## Problem Statement +## Problem and rough solution +Salt is vastly overapplied to parking lots and other places in the winter. This has a number of problems: +- Causes damage to vehicles and property +- Causes environmental damage +- Could eventually lead to stricter regulation +- Expensive in terms of raw materials +Additionally, the application is a nontrivial labor expense. + +Could we reduce the amount of salt we applied with precision, potentially automated, application? +- By taking readings of the parking lot (either with IR temp sensors, cameras, or a fusion thereof), we could apply salt at a variable rate. +- By having an automated/robotic system we could apply salt on a more regular basis, reducing overall salt usage +- By being able to swap/adjust between different media of salt (coarse, fine powder, or brine) we could further drive salt usage down ## Numbers & Napkin Math +(I'm just putting what I recall from our brief call - please correct these numbers) + +- 2.3 pounds per 1000 sqft at 30F +- at 16F that usage can triple +- so 2.3 - 10 # / 1000 sqft; average at 6 let's say + +There might be 12 (?) applications of salt per season? +Parking lots are obviously quite variable. +- A walmart parking lot might be 320,000 sqft (x12x6/1000 = 23,000 # of salt / season) +- A midsize lot might be 40,000 sqft (x12x6/1000 = 2,900 # of salt / season) +- A much smaller lot might be 10,000 sqft (x12x6/1000 = 720 # of salt / season) + + +## Clarifying Questions +- How do you deal with cars in the lot? Do you just salt traffic lanes? + ## Potential Solutions + These aren't necessarially good ideas + You gotta throw weird shit out there and let it marinade + +#### "Big Snow Roomba" +- An automated robot around the size of a zero-turn lawnmower +- Heck it might *be* the same platform as a robotic lawnmower. This problem is already solved/being solved by others. +- Holds a capacity of 320 pounds of salt (for a 320,000 sqft walmart parking lot) + - (how do you deal with the fact that you have cars?) +- Manually refilled at end of day -OR- mates with a docking station to get more salt/brine and power +- Has IR sensors and cameras to read ground condition +- Has fancy salt spreader that adjusts on the fly in response to changing ground condition + +#### "Smart Spreader" / "Precision Salting" +Bring the basic idea of precision planting tech (and I would imagine, also exists on spreaders) to salt spreading. +- Add-on / replacement spreader for existing salt trucks +- Spread salt in a more even pattern +- Improved accuracy of dosing +- Sensors on front of truck read ground condition and set dosing parameters accordingly +- Optional GPS/RTK system helps operator hit all regions of a lot + - Automatic shutoffs +- Really fancy CANBus system taps into engine and sets a speed limit for drivers + +#### "Zero Turn Salter" +- Retrofit (add-on kit for?) a manual zero-turn mower that has the ability to spread 100# of salt at a time +- Use some of the same "smart spreader" tech + ## Existing Solutions +- Thad: talk to BCS and understand what already exists and is in use in the ag world for application +- Capra Hircus Saltnex +- www.thesnowbot.com / www.yarbo.com +- \ No newline at end of file