Microstructure based model for effective thermal conductivity of snow

The paper presents a Model to quantitatively relate macroscopic effective thermal conductivity (ETC) of snow with the microscopic interfacial contact area anion g the components using micro-structural parameters obtained from surface section images of snow samples. Unit cell model of Jackson and Black, based on stereological concept of contiguity, is expanded to include the effect of microstructure of snow, as well as, other parameters to predict the ETC of snow. The model is described by three dominant thermal conductance that account for the heat transfer across solid-solid, solid-liquid, and solid-air interface. The complex Structure of snow is described using the primary microstructure parameters: coordination number, grain size, bond size, dendricity and sphericity. The ETC formulations developed, include file effect Of these Snow parameters besides the characteristics of the phases and temperature dependence of their conductivities. The model predictions agree closely with the measurements made using transient thermal probe method. The ETC values obtained from the present model are in close agreement with the observed values than the results of other existing models.