Airport runway system

Claim 2

An improved airport runway pavement segment comprising: a horizontal concrete body having a length, a width and a depth and comprising a substantially horizontal pavement surface; first and second plenum means located at and in abutting relation with the opposite ends of the length of said body respectively, said plenum means each comprising a substantially horizontal pavement surface in horizontal alignment with said pavement surface of said body; an adjustable large volume source of air operatively coupled to said first plenum means; a plurality of relatively large diameter, long, tubular members intEgrally cast within said body, said members being disposed substantially parallel to each other on approximate equal centers in a substantially horizontal plane, the opposite ends of said tubular members being coupled respectively to said first and said second plenum means; certain of said tubular members are perforated in a relatively regular pattern along their length and said body comprises a plurality of passages extending from said perforations through said pavement surface; and said first plenum means further comprises valve means for selectively decoupling said tubular members from said first plenum means.

Claim 3

An improved airport runway in accordance with claim 1 wherein said adjustable source of air further comprises an adjustable large volume source of heat.

Claim 4

An improved airport pavement segment in accordance with claim 1 wherein said source of air is reversible whereby said source draws its input air from said coupled plenum means and said tubular members.

Claim 5

An improved airport pavement segment in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least certain of said passages from said perforations to said pavement surface are substantially parallel to each other and intersect the plane of said pavement surface at an angle substantially less than 90* whereby said passages are directed upwardly and along the length of said section.

Claim 6

An improved airport runway comprising: a plurality of substantially similar segments, each of said segments comprising: a horizontal concrete body having at least a first end, a second end and a substantially horizontal pavement surface; first and second plenum means located at and adjacent to said first and said second ends respectively, said plenum means each comprising a substantially horizontal pavement surface in horizontal alignment with said pavement surface of said body; an adjustable large volume source of air operatively coupled to said first plenum means; and a plurality of relatively large diameter, long, tubular members integrally cast within said body, said members being disposed substantially parallel to each other on approximate equal centers in a substantially horizontal plane, the opposite ends of said tubular members being coupled respectively to said first and said second plenum means; and wherein said segments of said runway are disposed in an ordered pattern wherein the first plenum means of two adjoining segments are disposed adjacent to each other with their corresponding pavement surfaces in horizontal alignment with each other, and separate valve means are provided for selectively coupling and decoupling said source of air of one segment to said first plenum means of another adjacent segment whereby each said source may be selectively operatively coupled to said first plenum means of two adjacent segments.

Claim 7

An improved airport runway comprising: a plurality of substantially similar segments, each of said segments comprising: a horizontal concrete body having at least a first end, a second end and a substantially horizontal pavement surface; first and second plenum means located at and adjacent to said first and said second ends respectively, said plenum means each comprising a substantially horizontal pavement surface in horizontal alignment with said pavement surface of said body; an adjustable large volume source of air operatively coupled to said first plenum means; and a plurality of relatively large diameter, long, tubular members integrally cast within said body, said members being disposed substantially parallel to each other on approximate equal centers in a substantially horizontal plane, the opposite ends of said tubular members being coupled respectively to said first and said second plenum means; and wherein said segments of said runway are disposed in an ordered pattern wherein the first plenum means of two adjoining segments are disposed adjacent to each other with their corresponding pavement surfaces in horizontal alignment with each other, and separate valve means are provided for selectively coupling and decoupling said source of air of one segment to said first plenum means of another adjacent segment whereby each said source may be selectively operatively coupled to said first plenum means of two adjacent segments.