Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Processes – Of weather control or modification
Patent
1987-01-14
1989-06-06
Kashnikow, Andres
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Processes
Of weather control or modification
239 8, 239 142, 239424, F25C 304
Patent
active
048364460
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a process of manufacturing artificial snow. It relates equally to an apparatus designed for performing this process.
More precisely, the invention relates to industrial manufacturing processes of snow which allow for sufficiently substantial flows so as to be usable on ski slopes so as to compensate for a deficient natural snow fall.
Until now, known installations, whatever their principal of operation, utilize snow generators which operate along the length of the slopes themselves, either by moving them as needed, or by distributing them along the lengths of the portions to be snowed upon.
All of the snow generators which are generally known as "snow guns", are, in fact, sprayers which project into surrounding air, at subfreezing temperatures, fine droplets of water which must be frozen to obtain snow crystals or more precisely frost. All that is present is the exterior cold air and the water which directly exchange their heat, by heating of the air and evaporation of a portion of the droplets if it is not saturated.
For this process to be performed under good conditions, it is indispensible that the primary nucleation begin as rapidly as possible in the form of a maximum of seeds, such that the exchange of heat between the water and the air result in a secondary nucleation which is as complete as possible, even if the crystals formed contain more residual water than the natural snow. It is here that the type of snow generator utilized becomes a factor. Certain of them are pneumatic sprayers of high flow in which one utilizes thermodynamic cooling due to the expansion of the compressed air, to form at the level of the snow gun itself, a great quantity of seeds. The others utilize circular or toroidal sprayer ramps, with multiple nozzles; the primary nucleation is obtained, either with very fine hydraulic nozzles capable of creating seeds in sufficiently large quantity, or from small pneumatic sprayers which, in principle, rapidly favor the same formation. The fog of frost thus obtained is caught up in a substantial air flow created by a helicoidal fan placed upstream of the ramps and which likewise brings along the droplets of more or less substantial size, which will themselves frost beginning with the seeds. A process deriving from the preceeding principle makes it possible to obtain fine droplets by directing a high pressure water stream directly on the blades of a fan turning at a very high speed.
In a volume of air at a subfreezing temperature, at a certain degree of relative humidity, a defined mass of water droplets can freeze. The greater the volume of air which envelops the droplets, the greater will be the mass of water which can be frozen.
Two parameters become a factor: the power of the water jet which carries the water droplets nearer or further, and the feed of fresh air: wind or simply breeze from the hill, convection currents, supplying of air by every artificial mechanical means. The substantial quantity of heat which can be absorbed by evaporation, which depends on the degree of saturation of the air, can play, in the exchanges on the interior of the envelope of dispersion of the water stream, a considerable role, because each kilogram of water evaporated grossly absorbs more than 600 Kcal. The role of the evaporated water decreases when the dry temperature drops, but it is very important until about -8.degree. C. Yet, it is between 0.degree. C. and this temperature that the climactic statistics, in numerous countries where the necessity of making snow exists, show that the greatest possible number of hours of operation are concentrated. The yield of manufacturing installations of snow depend largely on the results obtained in this range.
Water pulverized into fine droplets can remain liquid very much below 0.degree. C. This state of supercooling varies with the composition of the water. The purer it is (the case of droplets contained in clouds), the lower the effective freezing temperature. The natural waters used in the guns are not pure and contain, bu
REFERENCES:
patent: 2676471 (1974-04-01), Pierce
patent: 2968164 (1961-01-01), Hanson
patent: 3072346 (1963-01-01), Wahlin et al.
patent: 3494559 (1970-02-01), Skinner
patent: 3703991 (1972-11-01), Eustis et al.
patent: 3716190 (1973-02-01), Lindlof
patent: 3727841 (1973-04-01), Hengesbach
patent: 3762176 (1973-10-01), Coggins
patent: 3806702 (1974-04-01), Spencer
patent: 3838815 (1974-10-01), Rice
patent: 3948442 (1976-04-01), Dewey
patent: 4105161 (1978-08-01), Kircher et al.
patent: 4129252 (1978-12-01), Pouring
patent: 4214700 (1980-07-01), Vanderkelen et al.
patent: 4247047 (1981-01-01), Schaming
patent: 4407452 (1983-10-01), Born et al.
patent: 4473186 (1984-09-01), Alperin
patent: 4475688 (1984-10-01), Hodges
patent: 4545529 (1985-10-01), Tropeano
patent: 4640460 (1987-02-01), Franklin
patent: 4717072 (1988-01-01), Girardin
Kashnikow Andres
Trainor Christopher G.
LandOfFree
Device and method for producing artificial snow does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Device and method for producing artificial snow, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Device and method for producing artificial snow will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-34436