Snow and ice can become lodged in the front grille of a snow plow truck. As a result, the air flow is choked and the engine overheats. The objective of this research was to develop a device to use the vibration of the truck to expel the snow or ice from the grille area without the aid of a mechanized input. The device would replace the current grille configuration. The truck's vertical motion was used to cause the device to vibrate and eject the snow/ice.

The design of the device incorporates a spring/mass/damper system. The device includes unbalanced horizontal rotational bars which are supported by a vertical bar and spring. The device is designed to work in the low frequency input range of the truck. Dynamic equations were used to model the system, and the frequency response was determined. Several prototypes were tested on an Instron material testing machine, and the reactions were compared to the theoretical responses. Truck tests were also performed to show the potential of the devices. Based on the test results, and calculations, the best final design was determined. The final design was successful in ejecting snow from its bars during truck tests.