Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Weather control – Snowmaking
Patent
1996-08-08
1998-11-17
Kashnikow, Andres
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Weather control
Snowmaking
2394165, 239423, F25C 304
Patent
active
058365141
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a snowmaking gun, i.e. a gun for producing artificial snow.
As discussed in applicant's pending Canadian patent application Serial No. 2,082,140, filed Nov. 4, 1992, in general, the basic process for producing artificial snow (involving the formation of ice crystals) is a heat exchange process involving heat rejection. When sufficient heat has been removed under proper temperature conditions, small droplets of water will freeze. There are four major factors affecting the removal of heat from water droplets, namely: droplets,
The basic types of snowmaking apparatuses in use today include the so-called compressed air type and the fan type. In a compressed air apparatus, air and water are supplied to snow guns for atomizing, projection and distribution of an air/water mixture. A fan type apparatus includes a large tubular casing containing a fan for producing a large volume of air. Water is atomized hydraulically and injected into the air stream produced by the fan. Direct nucleation is required with this type of apparatus. All snowmaking apparatuses must achieve the same objectives, namely the atomizing of water droplets, the projection of the droplets into air so that they can freeze, and the nucleation of water droplets to enhance freezing in the minimum time at the highest possible temperature. Moreover, it is desirable to achieve the foregoing as economically as possible.
In the vast majority of compressed air type apparatuses, air and water are mixed prior to being discharged from a nozzle as a mixture. The compressed air facilitates internal mixing and nucleation. The high velocity of the mixture results in freezing of smaller droplets to create nuclei. The compressed air also provides most of the force necessary to project the droplets into the air. The secondary or entrained ambient air provides the largest part of the cooling required to convert the water droplets into ice particles.
Each type of apparatus has its advantages and disadvantages. Compressed air snow guns are lightweight, structurally simple, easy to operate, store and transport, relatively problem free on the slopes, more efficient in marginal temperatures, and better adapted to steep and narrow slopes. However, such guns are noisy, result in high energy consumption and costs, and experience higher water evaporation losses. Fan type machines have lower energy consumption and costs, higher snowmaking capabilities, lower noise level and less water evaporation than compressed air/water guns. Unfortunately, fan type machines are large and heavy, difficult to use on steep slopes, and are more complicated to operate, requiring better skills than the compressed air/water gun.
Comparison of a fan type machine (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,395, which issued to the present inventor on Dec. 8, 1987 with the best compressed air guns resulted in the conclusion that the fan type machine converts water into snow while using less than one fifth the energy required by the best air/water guns operating at peak efficiency.
As a general principle, the quantity of snow produced is directly proportional to the quantity of water employed. However, at any given temperature and humidity, and for a specific volume of air, only limited quantities of water may be sprayed into the air and result in high quality, dry snow. Thus, for any snowmaking machine, there is a trade off between snow quantity and quality which vary in accordance with climate conditions. As mentioned above, the production of artificial snow is a heat exchange process in which the actual heat exchange occurs at a distance from the apparatus or gun. Thus, a relatively important part of the system is the plume of air and water interacting with ambient air outside of the apparatus. In order to ensure efficient snowmaking, it is important to ensure that (1) proper mixing of water droplets and air occurs in the plume outside the machine, (2) the water droplets remain airborne for a sufficient period of time to become frozen, and (3) energy consumption be kept to a minimum.
Recen
REFERENCES:
patent: 3387791 (1968-06-01), Allenbaugh, Jr.
patent: 4284242 (1981-08-01), Randell
patent: 4491273 (1985-01-01), Manhart
patent: 4711395 (1987-12-01), Handfield
patent: 4742959 (1988-05-01), Stanchak et al.
patent: 4903895 (1990-02-01), Mathewson et al.
patent: 4917297 (1990-04-01), Terhume
patent: 5083707 (1992-01-01), Holden
patent: 5167367 (1992-12-01), VanderKelen et al.
patent: 5180106 (1993-01-01), Handfield
Douglas Lisa Ann
Kashnikow Andres
Seaby George A.
LandOfFree
Snowmaking gun does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Snowmaking gun, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Snowmaking gun will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-876836