Hydraulic conveying of snow and ice

Development of a snow-fraction meter

Abstract

A new method to measure the fraction of snow or ice in snow-water or ice-water mixture has been developed in this study. This paper describes the application of techniques for the development of the meter and the test results. The basic principle employed is the conductometric method or the electrical conductance measurement. Some techniques devised for the development are described. They are the improvement of electrical circuit for resistance measurement, the use of “auxiliary electrodes”, the introduction of the aspect ratio of the particles and so on. The method was tested using a prototype snow-fraction meter in a testing apparatus. The experimental results show that the meter is sufficiently practical. This new method is expected to be useful for hydraulic conveying of snow or ice.