Method for manufacturing artificial snow and product for implementing the method
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing snowmaking technologies face challenges in producing high-quality artificial snow efficiently and economically, particularly at temperatures close to 0°C, due to the high energy consumption and complexity of current nucleation methods, and the high cost and biological requirements of existing nucleation agents like SNOMAX.
Innovation Solution
The use of silicate particles, specifically feldspars, tectosilicates, and phyllosilicates, with microcavities on their surface, activated through treatments like cold, ultrasound, potassium hydroxide, ozone, and oxygen plasma, to enhance nucleation efficiency and lower the required temperature for ice formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional compressed air nucleation is used, then ice formation can be achieved at higher temperatures, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses inexpensive silicate particles as single-use nucleating agents that are incorporated into water droplets. These particles initiate ice formation without requiring energy-intensive compressed air expansion, thereby reducing energy consumption while enabling ice formation at higher temperatures close to 0°C.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the chemical composition of the nucleating agent by using silicate particles with specific surface properties and microcavity structures. This parameter change in the nucleating agent's physical-chemical characteristics enables effective ice nucleation at higher temperatures without the need for violent compressed air expansion.
2Productivity
If SNOMAX biological nucleation agent is used, then snow production efficiency improves, but cost and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive biological SNOMAX particles with inexpensive inorganic silicate particles that do not require cold storage or special handling. These silicate particles maintain snow production efficiency while eliminating the need for restrictive operational procedures and cold storage infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the biological organic material (SNOMAX) with inorganic silicate particles, replacing a biologically-based system with a chemically-based system that is more stable, easier to store, and simpler to operate without special environmental controls.
3Device complexity
If water is sprayed without nucleating agents, then equipment complexity is reduced, but ice formation only occurs at very low temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the nucleating function from complex mechanical systems (like compressed air expansion devices or ultrasonic generators) and implements it through simple chemical addition of silicate particles to the water, thereby maintaining equipment simplicity while enabling ice formation at higher temperatures.
4Device complexity
If ultrasonic nucleation is used, then compressed air equipment is eliminated, but energy consumption and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses inexpensive silicate particles as nucleating agents that eliminate the need for energy-intensive ultrasonic equipment. The particles are simply mixed into the water and perform the nucleation function passively, reducing both device complexity and energy consumption compared to active ultrasonic nucleation systems.
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
The silicate particles effectively initiate ice formation at temperatures between -4°C and -0.5°C, reducing energy consumption and production costs while maintaining snow quality, and can be used in snowmaking devices to produce artificial snow efficiently.
Implementation Method 1
incorporating into the water particles acting as nucleation agents... which come in the form of fragments of cells derived from microorganisms and containing a protein capable of initiating crystallization
Implementation Method 2
These devices spray water into the cold ambient air in the form of droplets that freeze or crystallize to produce snow
Implementation Method 3
This process is effective, but it requires the production of cold, generally through a violent expansion of compressed air
Implementation Method 4
Nucleation can also be achieved by impacting the water, particularly with ultrasound
Data Source
Figure 1~2b
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a snow-making process consisting of incorporating nucleating agent particles into water and projecting said water containing said nucleating agent particles onto a surface or into an environment with a temperature below 0°C, using a device adapted for the production of snow or ice. According to the invention, said nucleating agent particles consist of silicate particles with a unit equivalent sphere diameter of less than 15 µm, preferably less than 5 µm. The invention further relates to the product in powder form for carrying out the process.