Similarity criteria for scaling snow/wind interaction phenomena using water flumes and wind tunnels

This paper derives the model simulation requirements for the predicting either snow drifting dynamics or resultant snow drift accumulation using a wind tunnel or a water flume. The model scaling requirements are expressed in terms of non-dimensional similarity criteria comprising groupings of readily quantitized parameters of the interaction process such as test fluid or wind velocity, snow or equivalent modelled particle diameter, snow or equivalent modelled particle density, etc. The more relevant of the simulation criteria for snow/wind interaction modelling are experimentally verified and the results correlated with published experimental snow/wind interaction data where available. It is established that although complete dynamic similarity, as realized by simultaneously satisfying all the stimulation criteria, is generally not attainable unless testing is conducted at close to full scale, in practice not all the criteria are relevant in any given snow/wind interaction modelling situation.