A numerical scheme based on the C-CUP method to simulate melting phenomena
in snow is proposed. To calculate these complex phenomena we introduce the
phase change, elastic-plastic model, porous model, and verify each model by
using some simple examples. This scheme is applied to a practical model, s
uch as the snow piled on the insulator of electrical transmission line, in
which snow is modeled as a compound material composed of air, water, and ic
e, and is calculated by elastic-plastic model. The electric field between t
wo electrodes is solved by the Poisson equation giving the Joule heating in
the energy conservation that eventually leads to snow melting. Comparison
is made by changing the fi action of water in the snow to see its effect on
melting process for the cases of applied voltage of 50 and 500 kV on the t
wo electrodes. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.