Experiments on ice-sphere flows along an inclined chute

K. Nishimura, K. Kosugi, M. Nakagawa

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Inclined chute experiments with ice spheres were carried out in a cold laboratory to investigate the snow avalanche dynamics. The chute was 5.4 m long and 0.08 m wide. The chute inclination angles were varied from 30° to 40° and the temperature was varied from 0 to -30°C. The motion of ice spheres was recorded with the high-speed video system and the velocity and density profiles were obtained under various conditions. Two types of bed conditions were selected to investigate how flowing particles interact with the bed. One was intended to simulate a rough boundary condition by placing ice spheres on the bed surface. Another was intended to simulate a smoother boundary by placing sand papers. A velocity gradient with a blunt shape and a significant amount of slip were found in all conditions. The slip velocity increased with chute inclinations and temperatures. Low density regions were observed near the bed, typically in the order of four to five particle diameter thick, where there existed large velocity fluctuations. Boundary conditions have a significant influence on the flow behavior; flows on the rough bed condition seem to be more agitated near the bed and travel slower in general.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)205-209
Number of pages5
JournalMechanics of Materials
Volume16
Issue number1-2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 1993
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Materials Science
  • Instrumentation
  • Mechanics of Materials

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