Indoor Snow Generator With Closed Climate Control for Snow Quality
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Indoor snow-making devices face challenges in producing snow of specified quality due to limited evaporation energy and high humidity in enclosed spaces, requiring low temperatures that are uncomfortable for athletes and increasing energy expenditure for air conditioning.
Innovation Solution
An integrated indoor snow device with a snow production unit, air conditioning unit, and control unit forms a closed system that generates a cooled, dry air flow for snow production, allowing for independent climatic conditions within the device to produce various snow qualities efficiently, regardless of hall conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If water droplets are atomized into hall air for snow production, then snow is formed, but the hall humidity rises sharply to saturation and temperature increases, requiring additional air conditioning energy
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the snow production process from the general hall air environment by introducing a separate, controlled air stream specifically for snow generation. This isolated air stream is cooled and dried independently, allowing snow production without saturating the overall hall atmosphere, thus eliminating the need for additional air conditioning energy to manage humidity and temperature changes in the hall.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a mediator element - a dedicated cooled and dried air stream that serves as an intermediary between the water droplets and the hall air. This intermediate air stream absorbs the moisture and heat changes during snow production, preventing direct impact on hall climate and avoiding additional air conditioning requirements.
2Productivity
If hall temperature is lowered to -8°C to -15°C to enable snow production, then snow can be produced, but athlete comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the snow production function from the general hall environment by creating a dedicated air stream pathway. This segmentation allows the snow production zone to operate at low temperatures while the athlete area maintains comfortable temperatures, resolving the contradiction between snow production capability and athlete comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the cold air required for snow production from the general hall air supply, creating a separate cooled air stream specifically for snow generation. This extraction allows the hall to maintain comfortable temperatures for athletes while still providing the extreme cold necessary for snow production in the localized area.
3Manufacturing precision
If a separate snow chamber is provided for depot snow production, then optimal snow quality can be achieved, but direct snowing of the hall area is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines the functions of a dedicated snow chamber and direct hall snowing capability into a single system. The air conditioning unit and control system can manage both localized snow production in the hall area and overall hall climate control, providing both optimal snow quality and direct snowing versatility without requiring separate facilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a controlled air stream as an intermediary that can be directed to different locations. This mediator air stream carries snow particles and can be targeted to specific hall areas or used for overall climate management, enabling both precise snow quality control and flexible direct snowing capabilities.
4Productivity
If atomizing nozzles are used to spray water droplets, then snow production is enabled, but water droplets reach the hall floor without complete freezing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by pre-cooling and pre-drying the air stream before it contacts the water droplets in the atomizing nozzles. This preliminary conditioning of the air ensures that when water droplets are introduced, the environment is already optimized for complete freezing, preventing droplets from reaching the hall floor in liquid form.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooled and dried air stream serves as an intermediary medium that facilitates complete freezing of water droplets. This intermediate air layer transfers heat more effectively from the water droplets to the surrounding environment, ensuring thorough freezing before droplets can reach the hall floor.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the production of almost any snow quality with minimal energy consumption, reducing the need for extreme hall temperatures and humidity adjustments, thus improving athlete comfort and reducing energy expenditure.
Implementation Method 1
The air-conditioning unit (4) is designed to generate a cooled, dry flow of snow air
Implementation Method 2
the at least one atomizing nozzle unit (9) is arranged in the snow air flow (SLS) to produce snow of a predetermined snow quality
Implementation Method 3
The fine water droplets contained in the generated air flow give off heat to the surrounding air on their flight to the ground and thus freeze to snow
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
Indoor snow-making machine comprises a closed housing (2) containing a snow generator (3), a conditioning unit (4) and a control unit (5), where the snow generator comprises an atomizer unit (9) within a duct (7) and the conditioning unit supplies the atomizer unit with cooled dry compressed air and pressurized cold water and supplies the duct with a snow-air stream while the climatic conditions within the snow generator are controlled by the control unit as a function of the desired snow quality.