Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Weather control – Snowmaking
Utility Patent
2000-01-19
2001-01-02
Kashnikow, Andres (Department: 3752)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Weather control
Snowmaking
Utility Patent
active
06168089
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the art of fluid sprinkling and more particularly to snow making towers for ski slopes.
The present invention pertains to an improvement in snow making towers of the type disclosed in Dupre U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,360,163 and 5,667,137, which include or incorporate an elongated aluminum pipe system for the tower.
A suitable discussion regarding prior art background of the present invention is presented in these patents and also in the inventor's U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,822,825 and 3,952,949. Accordingly the background provided in these patents is incorporated herein by reference.
Generally, the present invention pertains to snow making towers which are comprised of a vertical support pole and a support arm pivotally connected to the support pole adjacent the upper end thereof for pivotal movement from vertical to horizontal. A snow making tower pipe is secured at its lower end to the support arm and is provided with snow making nozzles at the upper end thereof.
The tower pipe is supported from the support arm for elevating the nozzles above ground with pivotal movement of the support arm toward vertical. Air and water supplies under pressure are connected to the pipe tower at its lower end to provide water and air under pressure to the nozzles at the upper end of the tower pipe for discharge into ambient atmosphere for manufacturing snow in subfreezing conditions.
These afore-described prior art snow making towers generally pertain to the type of towers wherein air and water under pressure are externally mixed in the ambient atmosphere when they are ejected under pressure from respective nozzles at the top of the tower. Other snow making towers intermix the air and water under pressure within the tower pipe and eject the mixture from the snow making nozzles. The present invention will be described in conjunction with the external mixing type snow making tower, but is equally usable with and applicable to internal mixing towers.
A common problem encountered with all the afore described prior art snow making towers is that the water and air being supplied to the tower and ultimately to the snow making nozzles at the top of the tower is warmer than desired. The colder the air and water are which are being supplied to the snow making nozzles at the top of the tower, the more efficient is the snow making operation and a more superior quality snow is manufactured.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a snow making tower with superior precooling capabilities for precooling the water and air supplied to the snow making nozzles at the upper end of such a snow making tower.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The snow making tower of the present invention is provided with a water and air supply precooling system. The tower is comprised of an elongated aluminum pipe snow making tower supported above ground in an upright manner with snow making nozzles at the upper end of the tower pipe for ejecting air and water under pressure into ambient atmosphere for manufacturing snow in subfreezing conditions. Water and air supply connections are provided at the lower end of the tower pipe for connection to sources of water and air under pressure.
In the antifreeze precooling snow making tower of the present invention, a closed loop antifreeze cooling system is mounted adjacent the tower and includes a radiator, a circulating pump and tubing for continually recirculating antifreeze fluid through the radiator by the pump for efficient cooling of the antifreeze fluid. Any suitable antifreeze fluid may be used, such as automobile liquid, radiator antifreeze or R.V. antifreeze.
The tubing utilized in this cooling system includes metal tubing which passes through or within interiors of the aluminum snow making tower pipe for thereby precooling water and air passing upwardly through the tower in an adjacent passage or passages prior to ejection from the nozzles.
The radiator may be provided with a cooling fan in similar fashion to other radiator systems.
For snow making towers which include external mixing of air and water for manufacture of snow, an extruded aluminum tube may be utilized for the tower pipe, which tube has at least three separated conduit passages for segregated flow of air, water and antifreeze fluid therethrough. The antifreeze fluid is preferably circulated from the top of the tower pipe to the bottom. In addition, the tubing portions which lead to the upper end of the snow making tower pipe are preferably positioned and retained along the top edge of the tower pipe.
The tower and the antifreeze cooling system may be combined as a unit and mounted on a towable vehicle for easy mobility.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3464625 (1969-09-01), Carlsson
patent: 3733029 (1973-05-01), Eustis et al.
patent: 3761020 (1973-09-01), Tropeano et al.
patent: 3762176 (1973-10-01), Coggins, Jr.
patent: 3831844 (1974-08-01), Tropeano et al.
patent: 4889180 (1989-12-01), Sloan
patent: 5284202 (1994-02-01), Dickey et al.
patent: 5297731 (1994-03-01), Bucceri
patent: 5667137 (1997-09-01), Dupre
patent: 6039265 (2000-03-01), Dupre et al.
Carothers & Carothers
Kashnikow Andres
Nguyen Dinh Q.
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