Snowmelter

A mobile snow melter in Sapporo, Japan

A snow melter is a piece of snow removal equipment designed to melt snow using flame burners and/or hot water allowing the melt-water to discharge into a storm drain or onto the ground. Snow melters have been used for over one hundred years.[1] Melting snow artificially helps keep roads, airport tarmacs and other surfaces clear and ready to use.[1] Melting snow is primarily used in areas where trucking snow is not geographically or economically feasible.[1] A built-in snowmelt system which melts the snow where it falls is another snow removal alternative.

Comparison with dumping snow

Three semi-mobile snow melters at an airport in New York, United States

There are two main barriers to dumping snow, the cost and availability of land, and the cost and logistics of trucking snow. The dumping of snow into bodies of water is no longer allowed in many places for pollution reasons which leaves dumping the snow on land or melting the snow. The availability of land suitable for dumping is limited and in most urban areas, the cost of land is significant. For example, the average listing for property in New York City is over two million dollars.[2] Suitable land for a snow dump may be distant requiring trucking the snow to the remote dump sites. Thus, melting snow on site by using an industrial snow melter may be more cost-effective than trucking it to a remote location for disposal.

Types

A stationary snow melter(Shower type)

Basic types of snow melters are mobile, semi-mobile and stationary. Mobile snow melters drive down a street or along a rail line collecting snow and melting it. These often have a holding tank so the melt-water can be discharged at a designated location. Semi-mobile units have wheels and are moved into position and then loaded with snow by another machine. Stationary units may be built into the ground.

Submerged combustion snowmelters use a flame that is applied to the snow, or a water bath.[1] The flame causes tiny bubbles to form that transfer their heat almost instantly to the bath. Snow melters are rated by how many tons of snow they can melt in one hour such as one hundred twenty five tons per hour.

Environmental issues

In the past, it was common for organizations that had access to bodies of water to dump snow in lakes, rivers, or oceans. However, much of the snow is contaminated with chemicals and debris that are harmful to the environment if left untreated. Many cities and other government bodies have placed limitations on dumping snow into bodies of water. For instance, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection issued guidelines on how to properly remove snow. In it they state, "As snow melts, road salt, sand, litter, and other pollutants are transported into surface water or through the soil where they may eventually reach the groundwater."[3] They recommend, "Avoid dumping of snow into any waterbody, including rivers, the ocean, reservoirs, ponds, or wetlands. In addition to water quality impacts and flooding, snow disposed of in open water can cause navigational hazards when it freezes into ice blocks."[3]

Proponents for snowmelters claim that these essentially speed up the natural snowmelting process. They discharge the melt water into storm drains and sewer systems where the water is treated and released back into the local water systems.[4][5] However they consume substantial amount of energy and the carbon dioxide from the burning flame contributes to global warming.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Trecan Combustion". Trecan.com. Retrieved 2015-02-19.
  2. ↑ "New York, NY real estate overview". Trulia.com. Retrieved 2015-02-19.
  3. 1 2 "Site Help | MassDEP". Mass.gov. Retrieved 2015-02-19.
  4. ↑ "Trecan Combustion". Trecan.com. Retrieved 2015-02-19.
  5. ↑ "Why Move Snow When You Can Melt It?". YouTube. 2010-07-15. Retrieved 2015-02-19.
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