 Poster: A snowHead
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With the seemingly annual glut of people in full flow wondering if there will be enough snow to ski on, I wondered if there are any "experts" out there who know what the minimum temperature needs to be to operate snow cannon effectively?
And if it ever gets too cold for them to work? Is there an operating window?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Fahrenheit teens.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Filthyphil30k, good name for a band that
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Depends on several factors. Type of canon (simple lance or integrated fan), air humidity, etc. Then capacity is further constrained by pump capacity, water supply and so on.
A integrated fan has no problem at -5C and can often work at temperatures a lot closer to 0. A lance is on the edge at -5C, -10C is fine.
In really cold conditions (below -20C) the jets etc freeze up and it takes a lot of work to keep the system going.
As the system approches its upper working limit the quality of the snow decreases and it becomes wetter.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The snowmaking has become indispensable: without it, little ski stations would open in due time. Without it, the season would often cut short ...
Over time, the guns have become snowmaking, a name more "nice" but the manufacturing principle is the same. Patrice Lorenzi, service to the slopes of Tignes, explains how artificial snow is made, especially the conditions for it to be.
1The principle
Water is drawn from a lake, as in Tignes, or hill reservoir. Arrival at the hall of pumps, a pressure of two bars (ie 1600 m³ per hour for water), and compressors (five at 2 000 m³ per hour), it stood at 55 bar pressure to get to the snow guns (355 Tignes).
2The terms
You need a dry cold, sub-zero degree temperatures and low humidity in percent.
It is necessary that the temperature of the water is cold. Colder it is, the better.
3mode calculation
A terminal connected to a computer system, provides indispensable information: temperature, humidity, and synthesis of both data gives the wet bulb temperature. For example, to a temperature of -3 ° C and a humidity of 100%, it gives a wet temperature of -3 ° C, retaining for snowmaking.
4The ideal temperature
It is -8 ° C with a humidity of 20%. But do not it gets too cold, because it would lack water. Too hot, we would lack air. Anyway, wet bulb temperature in Tignes is set to -4 ° C.
5Eau and air
The air flow is fixed, only the water varies.
Anemometers were installed throughout the ski area. The day when there is too much wind, the guns stop, because the snow would be dispersed instead set the desired locations. No chemicals are added to water.
6When does the snow made?
In Tignes, like other stations, 75% of artificial snow is made before Christmas. Following is the contribution. In Tignes, there are 30 km of network to 170 hectares.
7The snowmaking
There are two types of snow gun in Tignes: monofluid and two-fluid. With technological advances, the number has decreased: in Tignes, we went from a snow gun every 50 meters to every 70 meters.
8The monitoring
Massive chiefs and groomer drivers express the snow needs for any part of the ski area. Technicians are responsible for programming, since all the snowmaking system is computerized.
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Thanks all, enlightening! Had to use google translate for stewart's hyperlink on how Tignes do it. Doh, Dogwatch has fixed it for us!!!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Yeah. I've worked for some of those.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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FAQ
