US3908903A — Snow making apparatus and method

Claim 1

Independent Claim 307 words

Apparatus for making snow comprising: a source of pressurized water; a source of pressurized gas; a snow making device located in an atmosphere having a temperature below 0*C. and having a water channel including a hollow annular chamber, a central exit nozzle with a predetermined diameter and having a flow axis, and flow channels including a fixed wall transverse to the flow axis of the exit nozzle between said chamber and said nozzle for producing a substantially hollow conical spray pattern of water particle flow from said nozzle to become supercooled in said atmosphere; said device having a gas conduit having a discharge end extending through said transverse wall, sealingly engaged thereby and including a gas discharge opening with an internal diameter at least as large as the central exit nozzle diameter and being oriented to direct gas flow through said exit nozzle along the axis of said conical spray pattern, and means locating the discharge end of said gas conduit at a location near the entrance area of said exit nozzle and in alignment with the flow channels but without perceptibly affecting the hydraulic characteristics of the water flow through said exit nozzle when there is no gas flow through said conduit; means for connecting said water source to the water channel of said device; and means for connecting said gas source to the gas conduit of said device, the pressure of the gas in said conduit being sufficiently high so that the gas flow rate at the exit nozzle is restricted by the water flowing through the exit nozzle by an amount to reduce the gas temperature sufficiently far below 0*C. to cause ice nuclei to form in the gas stream following along the axis of the hollow conical spray pattern of water particle flow and thereafter to convert the supercooled water particles into snow.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 307 words

Apparatus for making snow comprising: a source of pressurized water; a source of pressurized gas; a snow making device located in an atmosphere having a temperature below 0*C. and having a water channel including a hollow annular chamber, a central exit nozzle with a predetermined diameter and having a flow axis, and flow channels including a fixed wall transverse to the flow axis of the exit nozzle between said chamber and said nozzle for producing a substantially hollow conical spray pattern of water particle flow from said nozzle to become supercooled in said atmosphere; said device having a gas conduit having a discharge end extending through said transverse wall, sealingly engaged thereby and including a gas discharge opening with an internal diameter at least as large as the central exit nozzle diameter and being oriented to direct gas flow through said exit nozzle along the axis of said conical spray pattern, and means locating the discharge end of said gas conduit at a location near the entrance area of said exit nozzle and in alignment with the flow channels but without perceptibly affecting the hydraulic characteristics of the water flow through said exit nozzle when there is no gas flow through said conduit; means for connecting said water source to the water channel of said device; and means for connecting said gas source to the gas conduit of said device, the pressure of the gas in said conduit being sufficiently high so that the gas flow rate at the exit nozzle is restricted by the water flowing through the exit nozzle by an amount to reduce the gas temperature sufficiently far below 0*C. to cause ice nuclei to form in the gas stream following along the axis of the hollow conical spray pattern of water particle flow and thereafter to convert the supercooled water particles into snow.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 250 words

Apparatus for generating snow comprising: a source of pressurized water having a temperature near freezing; a source of pressurized gas having a pressure below the pressure of the water; a snow-making device having an exit nozzle with a predetermined diameter and a flow axis, a water channel and a gas channel; means for connecting said source of pressurized water to said water channel; means for connecting said source of pressurized gas to said gas channel; fixed inducing means for creating a swirling hollow water flow through said exit nozzle, said inducing means communicating with said water channel and with said exit nozzle and including a wall transverse to the flow axis of the exit nozzle; means for introducing gas from said gas channel to said exit nozzle, said means including a tube having an internal diameter at least as large as the predetermined diameter with an end portion aligned with the nozzle and aligned with the exit nozzle, said tube including a discharge end projecting through the transverse wall and sealingly engaged thereby, whereby said gas is accelerated to a high velocity thereby entraining water from a gas-water interface of said exit nozzle which entrained water is crystallized within said nozzle; and a generally hollow conical jet of water droplets emanating from said nozzle which subcool simultaneously with the growth of ice nuclei in the expanding turbulent air jet in the center region of the spray, the entrained crystallized water particles mixing with the subcooled water droplets to generate snow.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 250 words

Apparatus for generating snow comprising: a source of pressurized water having a temperature near freezing; a source of pressurized gas having a pressure below the pressure of the water; a snow-making device having an exit nozzle with a predetermined diameter and a flow axis, a water channel and a gas channel; means for connecting said source of pressurized water to said water channel; means for connecting said source of pressurized gas to said gas channel; fixed inducing means for creating a swirling hollow water flow through said exit nozzle, said inducing means communicating with said water channel and with said exit nozzle and including a wall transverse to the flow axis of the exit nozzle; means for introducing gas from said gas channel to said exit nozzle, said means including a tube having an internal diameter at least as large as the predetermined diameter with an end portion aligned with the nozzle and aligned with the exit nozzle, said tube including a discharge end projecting through the transverse wall and sealingly engaged thereby, whereby said gas is accelerated to a high velocity thereby entraining water from a gas-water interface of said exit nozzle which entrained water is crystallized within said nozzle; and a generally hollow conical jet of water droplets emanating from said nozzle which subcool simultaneously with the growth of ice nuclei in the expanding turbulent air jet in the center region of the spray, the entrained crystallized water particles mixing with the subcooled water droplets to generate snow.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 17 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein: said source of pressurized gas is a source of pressurized air.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 30 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein: said source of pressurized water supplies water having a pressure 3 to 5 times the pressure at which said source of air delivers air.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 21 words

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein: said water pressure is approximately 150 psig; and said air pressure is approximately 50 psig.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 21 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein: said nozzle comprises a metering orifice for both said gas source and said water source.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 237 words

In snow-making apparatus having means for connection with a source of pressurized water, means for connection with a source of pressurized gas, an improved nozzle means for combining pressurized gas and pressurized water to form snow comprising: a body member having an internal bore with internal threads at an end thereof, and an orifice coaxial with the bore and having a predetermined diameter; a screw pin threadably received by the internal threads of the body member, having an outer wall spaced radially inwardly from the internal bore to define an annular chamber therebetween, and having a plurality of generally radial openings to provide fluid communication between the inner bore and the annular chamber; a distributor member having a boss received by the screw pin, an inner bore coaxial with the screw pin, a forward face with a transverse wall portion and with a conical portion which has a plurality of grooves generally tangentially oriented relative to the inner bore to provide swirl inducing fluid communication between the annular chamber and the orifice, and the distributor member being fixed in position by engagement with the screw pin and the body member; and a gas tube having an internal diameter at least as great as the predetermined diameter, coaxially mounted in the inner bore of the distributor member, and having a forward end projecting through the transverse wall portion in general alignment with the tangential grooves and the orifice.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 237 words

In snow-making apparatus having means for connection with a source of pressurized water, means for connection with a source of pressurized gas, an improved nozzle means for combining pressurized gas and pressurized water to form snow comprising: a body member having an internal bore with internal threads at an end thereof, and an orifice coaxial with the bore and having a predetermined diameter; a screw pin threadably received by the internal threads of the body member, having an outer wall spaced radially inwardly from the internal bore to define an annular chamber therebetween, and having a plurality of generally radial openings to provide fluid communication between the inner bore and the annular chamber; a distributor member having a boss received by the screw pin, an inner bore coaxial with the screw pin, a forward face with a transverse wall portion and with a conical portion which has a plurality of grooves generally tangentially oriented relative to the inner bore to provide swirl inducing fluid communication between the annular chamber and the orifice, and the distributor member being fixed in position by engagement with the screw pin and the body member; and a gas tube having an internal diameter at least as great as the predetermined diameter, coaxially mounted in the inner bore of the distributor member, and having a forward end projecting through the transverse wall portion in general alignment with the tangential grooves and the orifice.

Claim 11

Independent Claim 222 words

A method for the making of snow comprising: providing a snow making apparatus having an exit nozzle and means for generating spiral flow of water through said nozzle; applying water at a temperature greater than 0*C. to said apparatus at a pressure and flow rate to create a predominantly hollow conical pattern of water particle flow from said nozzle into an atmosphere having a temperature less than 0*C.; providing a gas supply conduit having a gas discharge opening sufficiently large so as not to materially restrict the gas flow rate; locating the axis of the opening in said gas supply conduit near the center of the spiral water flow at said exit nozzle and orienting the conduit opening to direct the gas flow substantially along the direction of the axis of said hollow conical pattern of water particle flow; and supplying gas to the gas supply conduit at sufficient pressure and temperature to accelerate the gas to a high velocity centrally of the spirally flowing water in the nozzle thereby entraining in the gas water particles from the gas-water interface and crystallizing the entrained water particles; and exhaustiNg the gas, the entrained crystallized water particles, and the liquid water from the nozzle into the atmosphere whereupon the crystallized water particles interact with the conical pattern of water particle flow to generate snow.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 222 words

A method for the making of snow comprising: providing a snow making apparatus having an exit nozzle and means for generating spiral flow of water through said nozzle; applying water at a temperature greater than 0*C. to said apparatus at a pressure and flow rate to create a predominantly hollow conical pattern of water particle flow from said nozzle into an atmosphere having a temperature less than 0*C.; providing a gas supply conduit having a gas discharge opening sufficiently large so as not to materially restrict the gas flow rate; locating the axis of the opening in said gas supply conduit near the center of the spiral water flow at said exit nozzle and orienting the conduit opening to direct the gas flow substantially along the direction of the axis of said hollow conical pattern of water particle flow; and supplying gas to the gas supply conduit at sufficient pressure and temperature to accelerate the gas to a high velocity centrally of the spirally flowing water in the nozzle thereby entraining in the gas water particles from the gas-water interface and crystallizing the entrained water particles; and exhaustiNg the gas, the entrained crystallized water particles, and the liquid water from the nozzle into the atmosphere whereupon the crystallized water particles interact with the conical pattern of water particle flow to generate snow.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 147 words

A method of artifically generating snow from low temperature pressurized water and pressurized gas comprising the steps of: providing a converging nozzle having an inlet and an exit; inducing a hollow, swirling flow of the pressurized water through the converging nozzle adjacent to the wall of the nozzle; introducing a flow of the pressurized air coaxially to the nozzle inlet such that the flow of pressurized water through the nozzle is unaffected; entraining water particles into the gas within the nozzle from a gas-water interface; crystallizing the entrained water particles by the reduced gas temperature of the accelerating gas; exhausting both the flow of water and the flow of gas with entrained crystallized water particles to the atmosphere when the temperature thereof is below 0*C; generating snow externally of said nozzle by the interaction of the crystallized water particles with the exhausting flow of water and gas.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 147 words

A method of artifically generating snow from low temperature pressurized water and pressurized gas comprising the steps of: providing a converging nozzle having an inlet and an exit; inducing a hollow, swirling flow of the pressurized water through the converging nozzle adjacent to the wall of the nozzle; introducing a flow of the pressurized air coaxially to the nozzle inlet such that the flow of pressurized water through the nozzle is unaffected; entraining water particles into the gas within the nozzle from a gas-water interface; crystallizing the entrained water particles by the reduced gas temperature of the accelerating gas; exhausting both the flow of water and the flow of gas with entrained crystallized water particles to the atmosphere when the temperature thereof is below 0*C; generating snow externally of said nozzle by the interaction of the crystallized water particles with the exhausting flow of water and gas.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 41 words

The method of claim 9 wherein the step of exhausting includes the step of: hydraulically atomizing the hollow, swirling flow of pressurized water to a mist of water droplets while exhausting a high velocity flow of pressurized gas to atmospheric pressure.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 65 words

The method of claim 10 wherein said step of generating includes the steps of: subcooling the mist of water droplets by exposure to the atmospheric air; forming additional crystallized water particles in the flow of gas from moisture contained therein; intermixing the mist of subcooled water droplets and the crystallized water particles within a turbulent expanding jet to crystallize the water particles into snow-like particles.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-09-29	1979-03-31	1979-09-30	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-09-29	1983-03-31	1983-09-30	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-09-29	1987-03-31	1987-09-30	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Snow making apparatus and method

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