# Design and performance optimization of vehicle-mounted thermal snow-melting system

## TL;DR

This paper designs and optimizes a vehicle-mounted system that melts snow using heat, showing how scraper speed and inlet-outlet modes affect melting efficiency.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel thermal snow-melting system design and evaluates its performance through simulation and analysis.

## Key findings

- Scraper speed significantly reduces snow melting time, with a 25-fold improvement at 42 r/min.
- The external inlet and internal outlet method melts snow faster than the internal inlet and external outlet method.
- The scraper speed has the greatest impact on melting rate, followed by inlet-outlet mode and then flow rate.

## Abstract

Snow clearing and melting vehicles do not need to transport snow out of the country, which helps to alleviate traffic congestion and has broad market prospects. In this study, a vehicle-mounted thermal snow-melting system was designed and the performance of the thermal snow-melting system was simulated. Then, the influences of the entry and exit modes, flow rate of the heat medium, and scraper speed on the snow melting rate were analysed. Studies have shown that thermal snowmelt systems are well designed and have good stability and availability. The speed of the scraper significantly affects the rate of snow melting. As the speed of the scraper increases from 0 r/min to 42 r/min, the time required for complete snow melting was reduced to approximately 1/25 of the original. The flow rate of the thermal medium has a small effect on the rate of snow melting. The time taken for the snow to melt completely under the internal inlet and external outlet method is 1.2 to 2.3 times longer than that of the external inlet and internal outlet method. The rank of influence degree was scraper speed>  entry and exit modes>  flow rate when the target was the maximum melting rate. This research provides a scientific basis for the manufacture of integrated snow clearing and melting equipment.