Numerical simulation study of wind-induced snow drifting on low-sloped gable roofs

Abstract

In this paper, an effective diffusion coefficient derived from previous semi-empirical formula and dynamic grid technology combined with inverse distance interpolation algorithm are applied to simulate wind-induced snow drifting on low-sloped gable roofs. The effective diffusion coefficient enhances the diffusion ability of particles near the wall surface, and the inverse distance interpolation algorithm has an explicit format, which determines the influence of the sample point on the interpolation point according to the interpolation distance, it has a low computational expense and weakens the influence of extreme points. Two measurement parameters, δH and δM, are introduced to illustrate the impact of interpolation parameters (power law p and interpolation radius R) on the single grid adjustment and snow cover. By employing these optimisations, sensitivity analyses for simulation parameters are performed, the effects of the saltation layer height, turbulent Schmidt number, falling velocity, time step size, and wind duration on snow distribution are discussed. Finally, the redistributions of snow cover on gable roofs under various wind directions are reproduced, the snow redistribution characteristics and the relationship between roof slope and snow erosion are investigated. The results can provide a reference for predicting snow loads on gable roofs.