Wind tunnel simulation experiment and investigation on the electrification of sandstorms

Electric discharge phenomenon is often observed during the passage of sandstorms over desert regions and sometimes does great damage to human beings. Based on previous researches on the electrification of sandstorms by the scholars both at home and aboard,the authors conducted the simulation experiments on the electric fields of sandstorm-triggered creeping-saltating sand, suspending sand and watered suspending sand in the large-scale wind tunnel. According to the experimental results the electric field structure and its formation mechanism were analysed and discussed, the quantity of electric charges and electric field strength were measured and calculated, and finally several conclusions were drawn.