Device for making artificial snow

Abstract

Device for making artificial snow by a snow cannon in which water is atomised by compressed air that is supplied by a compressor located in a compressor area, with the compressed air being guided through a primary part of a heat exchanger whose secondary part forms part of an evaporator in a closed cooling circuit in which a coolant is circulated by another compressor element. A controller establishes a desired temperature or pressure dew point at the outlet of the primary part.

1 .- 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . Device for making artificial snow by a snow cannon in which water is atomised by compressed air supplied from a first compressor that is positioned in a compressor area of a housing having an inlet for supplying air from the environment and an outlet to deliver compressed air to the snow cannon via a pipe, comprising:
 a heat exchanger having a primary part and a secondary part, a pipe guiding compressed air from the compressor through the primary part, and wherein the secondary part comprises part of the evaporator in a closed cooling circuit in which a coolant is circulated by a second compressor element that is driven by a respective drive, and   a controller arranged to control the cooling circuit to obtain a desired temperature or pressure dew point at the outlet of the primary part of the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 14 , including a liquid separator for removing condensed water, in an outlet pipe of the primary part of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 14 , wherein the cooling circuit comprises a heat exchanger downstream from the second compressor element, said heat exchanger comprising a condenser of the cooling circuit and wherein said heat exchanger is cooled by a fan blowing air over the heat exchanger in the compressor area. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 14 , wherein the first compressor is arranged to compress air that is drawn in from the compressor area. 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to control the temperature at the outlet of the primary part to be between 3° and 8° Celsius. 
     
     
         19 . The device according to  claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to control the temperature of the outlet of the primary part to be at or about 3° Celsius. 
     
     
         20 . The device according to  claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to obtain a pressure dew point on an order of magnitude of 3° Celsius. 
     
     
         21 . The device according  claim 14 , wherein the first compressor is set to a maximum working pressure of 8.5 bar. 
     
     
         22 . The device according to  claim 14 , wherein the heat exchanger is configured such that a pressure drop of compressed air over the primary part is less than 0.2 bar. 
     
     
         23 . The device according to  claim 14 , wherein the device is mobile and housed in a container. 
     
     
         24 . The device according to  claim 14 , wherein the device comprises a conventional cool dryer without a recuperative heat exchanger. 
     
     
         25 . The device according to  claim 14 , including an after-cooler between an outlet of the first compressor and an inlet of the primary part of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         26 . The device according to  claim 25 , including a second liquid separator just downstream from the after-cooler.