Experiment of Melting Snow Sliding Down a Steep Roof into a Pool Where River Water Is Led In

Abstract

It is observed in Tochio City, Niigata District, that wet snow of about 0.1g/cm³ density on the roof of about 58-degree angle and roofed with galvanized long iron sheet breaks and slides down in small pieces when the snow on it is about 710 cm deep.
The purpose of this report is to suggest an effective method of melting snow sliding down using river water.
Arranged for the experiment were the following; a pool 1 m longer than eaves, 2 m wide and 0.6 m deep, a pipe pouring river water at 45-degree angle upward from holes at regular intervals, and a U-gutter along one brim of the pool to drain the snow broth.
When river water of low temperature about 23°C is led into the pool which contains 176.1l/m² water, at a rate of 0.8 l/m² min, the snow of 0.36 g/cm³ density broken into pieces less than 10 cm diameter melts at a a rate of 2.41 kg/m²·h.
This would be an effective method of melting the snow sliding down the roofs of houses in a heavy snow-region like the Hokuriku District, although sludge in the rive water to be used must be removed with a strainer for river waters today are badly polluted.