Falling Snow Melting Characteristics of Warm Water Flowing along Sheet Channels Spread on a Roof

The experiment for investigating the falling snow melting characteristics of warm water flowing along sheet channels spread on a roof was performed in Tookamachi city, Nigata prefecture from February 6 to February 7, 1995. The sheet surface temperatures at 11 positions in 3 channels were measured. A physical model for a gas-water-snow system was constructed to compare the predicted results with the measured ones. A fully spread uniform water film in the sheet channel was observed in the experiments. The experimental results elucidated that it was feasible to use warm water flowing along sheet channels for melting falling snow on roofs. The temperature drop in the sheet channel mainly depended on the snowfall intensity, atmospheric temperature and wind speed. Under the influence of the roof edge, the temperature drop in the channel next to the side edge was much larger than that in middle channels. A water-snow two phase flow or a snow covered frozen water was experienced temporarily in the lower reaches of the water flowing channel. These suggest that a larger water flow rate is needed for the channel next to the roof edge, and a higher inlet temperature or a greater water flow rate is required for a severe weather condition. There was reasonably good agreement between the measured and predicted water temperatures.