Journal of Natural Disaster Science

EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF SNOW ACCRETION ON ELECTRIC LINES DEVELOPED IN A STRONG WIND

Gorow WAKAHAMA
Professor, Applied Physics Section, The Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo

(Received 18 November, 1979 and in revised form 29 December, 1979)

Abstract

Accretion of wet snowflakes on a wire was studied by wind tunnel experiments and field observations with the aim of preventing heavy accretion of wet snow, brought by a strong cyclone, on high-voltage power transmission lines in order to forestall damage to them and/or towers supporting them in the snowy regions of Japan, Canada, the U.S.A. and other countries.

Key words

snow accretion, ice accretion, adhesion, electric lines, coefficient of collection