Cryospheric Environment Simulator(CES)
Introduction
Cryospheric Environment Simulator(CES) is a large, state-of-the-art facility available for domestic and international cooperative use. CES has the capability to reproduce the natural cryospheric environment, including simulation of a natural snowfall. This unique facility allows us to conduct many projects on basic and applied disaster mitigation studies concerned with the cryospheric environment.
Purpose
- Reproduce phenomena in cryosphere and elucidate the role of snow and ice in global climate system.
- Reproduce the processes of the snow and ice disasters and elucidate the mechanism of disaster generation.
Research
The following researches are done, for example, by controlling air temperature, humidity, snowfall, rainfall and solar radiation in the CES.
- Characteristic change of deposited snow due to air temperature and solar radiation.
- Mechanism of drifting snow blown off by wind.
- Movement of deposited snow on a slope and mechanism of snow avalanche generation.
- Deposition of snow on/around a building under windy conditions.
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Measurement room.
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Arrangement of facilities in a large cold room.
Facilities
| apparatus | Specifications |
| Snowfall Machine(A) | Snowfall intensity : 0 - 1mm/h (water equiv.) Crystal type : dendrites etc.(size 0.5 - 5mm) Area : 3m x 5m |
| Snowfall Machine(B) | Snowfall intensity : 0 - 5mm/h(water equiv.) Crystal type : sphere(diameter 0.025mm) Area : 3m x 5m |
| Rainfall Machine | Rainfall intensity : 0 - 2mm/h Area : 3m x 5m |
| Solar Simulator | Solar radiation : 0 - 1000W/m2 Area : 3m x 5m |
| Experimental Table | Size : 3m x 5m Inclination : 0 - 45° |
| Wind Tunnel | Wind speed : 0 - 10m/s |
- Air temperature in the cold room can be controlled between -30 and +25℃.
- Microscope, thermal imager, high-speed video camera etc. are available.
Use
The CES can be used by domestic or foreign research organizations as a common facility. The CES operation committee coordinates working plans. Details of use can be obtained by contact with the secretariat of the CES operation committee.