Field measurement and numerical simulation of snow deposition on an embankment in snowdrift

Abstract

Snow accumulation on the road frequently induces a big traffic problem in the cold snowy region. Accurate prediction on snow distribution is fundamental for solving drifting snow disasters on roads. The present study adopts the transient method to simulate the wind-induced snow distribution on embankment based on the mixture multiphase model and dynamic mesh technique. The simulation and field measurement are compared to confirm the applicability of the simulation. Furthermore, the process of snow accumulation is revealed. The effects of friction velocity and snow concentration on snow accumulation are analyzed to clarify its mechanism. The results show that the simulation agrees well with the field measurement in trends. Moreover, the snow accumulation on the embankment can be approximately divided into three stages with time, the snow firstly deposited on the windward side, then, accumulation occurs on the leeward side which induced by the wake vortex, finally, the snow distribution reaches an equilibrium state with the slope of approximately 7°. The friction velocity and duration have a significant influence on the snow accumulation, and the vortex scale directly affected the snow deposition range on the embankment leeward side.