Snow/ ice making & preserving methods

Abstract

This invention relates to method and system for making of artificial snow or ice for outdoor as well as indoor artificial ski as well as method and systems for preserving ice for winter recreational activities, all year round for indoor facilities and at least half year or longer for outdoor facilities. It also relates to method and systems for preserving ice using embedded coolant lines capable of absorbing the heat from the thermal storage medium through a coolant and passing on same further to snow/ice layer. It also relates to method and systems for circulating waste snow/ice and using the thermal energy stored for snow making.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of making snow artificially within an indoor envelope, the envelop comprising a closed environment including a surface on which the snow is to be deposited, the method comprising: maintaining the temperature of the indoor envelope at −2° C. to −15° C. and humidity level at 85%-95% through air-conditioned cooling fans having heat exchanger piping and vent, at least during snow making; introducing pre-chilled water into the lines directed to the snow gun sprayers; pre-cooling and compressing the air by refrigeration means and air compressor respectively, discharging the pre-chilled water and pre-cooled air through spray nozzles of the spray gun into the body of air in the envelop maintained at temperature lower than −2° C. and humidity level at less than 100% causing the water droplet exiting the spray gun nozzles to freeze and turn into snow-flakes in flight. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein before discharging the pre-chilled water is combined with pre-cooled and compressed air to form a mixture. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the mixture is discharged through same spray nozzle causing misting of the water droplets that turns into ice or snow crystals depending on the configuration of the snow guns. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the pre-chilled water and pre-cooled and compressed air are discharged from separate spray nozzles causing water droplets to turn into a very fine mist sized droplets. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the cooling stored in thermal storage medium is used to chill the water and to cool and dry the air. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of adding of ice nucleators in the water to facilitate rapid formation of snowflakes or ice even at higher temperatures. 
     
     
         7 . A method of creating a virtual envelope just above the snow/ice surface in an outdoor envelope through evaporative cooling system for making snow artificially and retaining it, the envelop comprising a open environment, the method comprising: distributing water through an over head insulated water distribution tank having branch lines for distributing water; Pre-chilling water by refrigeration means to a temperature just above the freezing point to have much higher heat absorption capacity than water at ambient temperatures; introducing the pre-chilled water through the chilled water supply lines into the lines directed to the snow guns sprayers; providing pressure in water lines and spray nozzles through High Pressure pump and discharging the pre-chilled water at high pressure through flash evaporator nozzles of the spray gun into the above and around the surface of the snow/ice to spray fine mist of chilled water in the outdoor envelop to provide flash cooling. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the cooling stored in thermal storage medium is used to pre-chill the water. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising the steps of using plurality of fans to circulate the air to increase rate of evaporation from the flash evaporator nozzles and subsequent cooling. 
     
     
         10 . A method for preserving snow by resisting the heat transfer build up in ice within an envelope to elongate the melting period of snow, providing embedded coolant lines of coolant pipes arranged evenly apart at a spacing of 1-1.5 meters, wherein the coolant pipes network is installed on a profiled surface of the concrete slab, having recessed surfaces, the recessed area and area around the recessed surfaces is filled with mixture of a thermally conductive material capable of absorbing any heat from the thermal storage medium, with a thermally insulating material capable of keeping the thermal storage medium well insulated by keeping the outside heat out, and water; passing a coolant said coolant cooled by passing through a heat exchanger refrigeration cycle through the embedded coolant lines of refrigeration unit capable of absorbing the heat from the thermal storage medium through thermally conductive material and transmitting the absorbed heat into the coolant and capable of freezing the water added to mixture until the mixture is bound by ice and super cooled to create a mass, the said mass used as a base over which layer of snow, crushed ice or dry micro ice crystals are deposited; and cooling and drying the air within envelop to bring down the humidity level by air conditioning means. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the coolant pipes network is embedded directly into snow/ice layer. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein ice crystals of size 0.1 mm to 1 mm are used. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the coolant is Ethylene glycol. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the coolant is a single phase coolant such as Brine. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the coolant is a phase changing coolant such as ice slurry. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the thermal storage medium comprises of large mass of coolant or ice slurry. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the thermal conductor is aluminium oxide in granular form. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the thermal insulator comprises of cellulose fibre material i.e. combination of alumina and saw dust or cotton fibre. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the thermal insulator is particle form bound by ice or other binding agents or contained within other solid materials such as cement to provide a solid base below the concrete slab. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the cooling stored in thermal storage means are used to cool and dry the air.