Snow melting system and method with direct-contact water heater

Abstract

A snow melting system and a method is comprised of a snow melting housing defining a snow melting chamber therein. The housing has an opening to load snow in the snow melting chamber. A support is provided across the snow melting chamber to support snow therein elevated from a bottom wall of the snow melting chamber and to permit the passage of water therethrough to be collected in a water holding portion of the housing. A plurality of water spray nozzles are mounted in the housing about the snow melting chamber. A direct-contact water heater is provided for heating water to produce a supply of hot water to be fed at a constant pressure to the water spray nozzles for injection into the snow placed in the snow melting chamber for melting the snow. The direct-contact water heater is supplied water to be heated from the water holding portion of the housing. Excess water in the water holding portion is discharged and disposed of in the city drainage system.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to a snow melting system and its method of operation and particularly one which utilizes a direct-contact water heater to supply hot water to water jets disposed about a snow melting chamber for injection into snow placed therein.BACKGROUND ART[0002]Various types of snow melting systems are known for melting snow placed in a container and disposing of the water accumulating from the melted snow. However, such known devices lack in fuel efficiency and cannot achieve high melting rates per unit of fuel consumed or electricity used. They are therefore expensive to operate. Some of these devices are also very bulky and troublesome and require excessive maintenance to defrost the unit during cold weather periods when these units are not in use.[0003]Such devices have been designed to overcome the disadvantage of common snow removal methods used in large cities wherein large quantities of snow are stockpiled on the side of streets and par...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]It is a feature of the present invention to provide a compact snow melting system and method which uses a high efficiency direct-contact water hea

Problems solved by technology

However, such known devices lack in fuel efficiency and cannot achieve high melting rates per unit of fuel consumed or electricity used.

They are therefore expensive to operate.

Some of these devices are also very bulky and troublesome and require excessive maintenance to defrost the unit during cold weather periods when these units are not in use.

The stacked snow results in an inefficient use of space resulting in the narrowing of streets, a decrease in vacant parking spaces which can be hazardous as it decreases visibility.

Also, parking spaces which use parking meters cannot be employed while large snow banks may be left in place for several days.

The transport of the snow is also expensive.

A disadvantage of these known systems is that they produce fog which causes ice to build up in the vicinity of the systems and this has also proven to be hazardous and can also affect the pro

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