JPH0638297Y2 - Artificial snow making equipment - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial field of application> The present invention relates to an artificial snow manufacturing device, which can smoothly produce artificial snow even when the outside temperature is relatively high, and stably and quickly generate ice crystals. To produce high quality artificial snow efficiently.

<Prior art 1 and its problems> Generally, the conventional art of the artificial snow manufacturing apparatus is
As shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-98960 (see FIG. 9), the rotation of the blower fan 53 causes the outside air to be blown along the air passage 52 of the main body case 51, and the water is discharged to the air outlet 54 on the outlet side of the air passage 52. There is a fan type type in which a spray nozzle 57 is additionally provided, and the mist of water sprayed from the nozzle 57 is crystallized by the cooling action of the blowing air to produce artificial snow.

However, the related art 1 has a problem that the degree of cooling of the spray water is easily affected by the outside air temperature, and it is difficult to produce high quality artificial snow unless the outside air temperature is very low.

<Prior art 2 and its problem> On the other hand, there is considered a technology for manufacturing artificial snow by utilizing the cold heat of liquefied gas without being restricted by the outside air temperature. -52067,
We proposed an artificial snowmaking system based on this technology (see Fig. 10).

That is, in the related art 2, the ventilation passage 2 is formed in the main body case 1, the blower fan 3 is arranged in the ventilation passage 2, the blower outlet 4 is opened on the outlet side of the ventilation passage 2, and the blower outlet 4 is provided. The artificial snow generation area 6 is formed with a front space continuing to the downstream side of the distribution, the plurality of water spray nozzles 7 are exposed to the artificial snow generation area 6, and the artificial snow generation area 6 is provided from the ventilation passage 2.
In the basic structure of the fan type artificial snow making device with the liquefied gas injection nozzle 8 facing any one of the above, the liquefied gas injection nozzle 8 is arranged near the intake port 5 on the inlet side of the ventilation passage 2, and the liquefied nitrogen injection is performed. Liquefied nitrogen is sprayed from the nozzle 8 to cool the outside air passing through the ventilation passage 2 by the cold heat when the liquefied nitrogen vaporizes, strengthening the cooling effect of the air blow, and effectively refining the artificial snow without being affected by the outside air temperature. It is an attempt to manufacture well.

Generally, there are two types of snow-making equipment, fan type and gun type. In each case, water droplets with a small particle size become ice crystals with dust in the air as cores, and these ice crystals have large particle diameters. The basic mechanism of formation is that snow attaches to form artificial snow.

In Conventional Technique 2, since the blast temperature in the artificial snow generation region 6 is lower than that in Conventional Technique 1 due to the cold heat of the liquefied gas, artificial snow can be manufactured even when the outside air temperature is relatively high.

However, in this case, the generation rate for ice crystals tends to be slow, and the mist of water sprayed from the water spray nozzle 7 adheres to the ice crystals in an insufficiently frozen state to contain a large amount of liquid water. However, since there is a risk of so-called solid snow, it is not so easy to maintain good snow quality regardless of the outside temperature.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> Therefore, the present invention improves the above-mentioned conventional technique 2 to smoothly generate ice crystals even when the outside temperature is relatively high, thereby improving the snow quality of artificial snow. Ensuring is a technical issue.

<Means for Solving the Problems> The present inventor has made sure that the snow quality of artificial snow depends on the formation of ice crystals and that a part of the total amount of sprayed water mist is produced in the manufacture of artificial snow. The present invention has been completed in view of the fact that ice crystals can be stably formed.

That is, the present invention 1 is, in the fan type artificial snow making device of the basic structure, the liquefied gas injection nozzle 8 faces the artificial snow generation region 6, and a part of the plurality of water spray nozzles 7 is used for ice crystal water. As the spray nozzle 7a, a plurality of liquefied gas injection nozzles 8 are arranged on the outer circumference of the ice crystal water spray nozzle 7a so that the spray water of the enclosed ice crystal water spray nozzles 7a is surrounded by the liquefied gas injection nozzles 8a. It is characterized in that it is configured to be cooled by the jet liquefied gas of.

The present invention 2 is of a gun type, in which the main body case 1 is provided with a water supply unit 30 and a compressed air supply unit 31,
The air outlet 4 is opened at one end of the main body case 1, and the water from the water supply unit 30 and the compressed air from the compressed air supply unit 31 are blown out from the air outlet 4.
The artificial snow generation region 6 is provided with a front space continuing from the lower side of the flow of the outlet 4 to the artificial snow generation region 6, and the ice crystal water spray nozzle 7a is provided in the artificial snow generation region 6 separately from the water supply unit 30. And facing the ice crystal water spray nozzle 7a so as to surround a plurality of liquefied gas injection nozzles 8,
It is characterized in that the spray water of the enclosed water spray nozzle for ice crystals 7a is cooled by the spray liquefied gas of the surrounding liquefied gas spray nozzles 8.

The water spray nozzle 7 (or ice crystal water spray nozzle 7a) is a concept including both a nozzle that sprays water alone and a nozzle that sprays a mixed fluid of compressed air.

The liquefied gas refers to liquefied nitrogen, liquefied carbon dioxide, liquefied argon, liquid air, liquefied tetrafluorohydrocarbon, etc., and liquefied nitrogen or liquefied carbon dioxide is preferable from the viewpoint of low cost.

<Operation> (1) In the present invention 1 showing a fan type, a part of the plurality of water spray nozzles 7 is surrounded by the plurality of liquefied gas injection nozzles 8. Therefore, the periphery of the ice crystal water spray nozzle 7a is liquefied. The mist of water, which is particularly strongly cooled by the vaporization of the liquefied gas injected from the gas injection nozzle 8 and is sprayed from the center, is immediately contacted with this cooling atmosphere to be frozen and smoothly form ice crystals.

Then, water droplets filling the artificial snow formation region 6 around the ice crystals adhere to rapidly generate artificial snow.

Since the liquefied gas injection nozzle 8 does not face the intake port 5 as in the related art 2 but faces the artificial snow generation region 6, the water mist sprayed in the region 6 is generated together with the formation of ice crystals. Also cools directly to some extent and promotes crystal growth from ice crystals to snow.

(2) The present invention 2 showing a gun type is different from the present invention 1 only in that water and compressed air are ejected from the air outlet 4, and a plurality of liquefied gas injection nozzles 8 are provided on the outer periphery of the ice crystal water atomizing nozzle 7a. Since they are arranged so as to surround the same, their action is the same as in (1) and above.

<Effect of the Invention> (1) In the present invention 1, a part of the plurality of water spray nozzles is used as an ice crystal water spray nozzle, and the liquefied gas injection nozzle is arranged so as to surround this part of the ice crystal water spray nozzle.

In the second aspect of the present invention, a combination mechanism of a water atomizing nozzle for ice crystals and a liquefied gas injecting nozzle surrounding the water atomizing nozzle is provided separately from the mechanism for ejecting the mixed fluid of water and compressed air.

That is, both the first and second embodiments of the present invention are independently provided with the water spray mechanism for ice crystals, so that the mist of water sprayed from the center can be immediately brought into contact with the cooling atmosphere by the liquefied gas in the surroundings for strong cooling.

As a result, the formation of ice crystals is smooth and stable, and is not significantly affected by the outside air temperature, and the ice crystals that form the core of the snow can be generated rapidly, and high-quality artificial snow can be manufactured.

(2) In the first aspect of the present invention, a part of the plurality of water spray nozzles is used as an ice crystal water spray nozzle, and the liquefied gas only has to cool the water mist sprayed from this part of the nozzles.

In the second aspect of the present invention, the liquefied gas injection nozzle is arranged so as to surround only the ice crystal water spray nozzle, and the liquefied gas does not cool the mixed fluid of water and compressed air, but the water from the ice crystal water spray nozzle. All you have to do is cool the mist.

Therefore, it is not necessary to cool the entire blown air in the ventilation passage 2 as in the case of the conventional technique 2, so that the consumption of liquefied gas can be suppressed and the manufacturing cost of artificial snow can be reduced.

<Embodiment> An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a fan type artificial snow making device showing a first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a schematic overall view of the device, and FIG. 3 is a front view of an annular water spray header. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of the liquefied nitrogen injection nozzle, and the fan type artificial snow making device can swing the large cylindrical main body case 1 via the support arm 12 on the crawler type running part 11. (See Fig. 2).

As shown in FIG. 1, an air passage 2 is formed in the main body case 1, a blower fan 3 is arranged in the air passage 2, the blower fan 3 is configured to be rotationally driven by a motor 13, and the air passage 2 is provided. A plurality of guide vanes 15 are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the.

An intake port 5 is opened on the inlet side of the air passage 2, and a blower outlet 4 is opened on the outlet side of the air passage 2, and an annular water spray header 10 as shown in FIG. 3 is attached to the blower outlet 4. , A space in front of the outlet 4 on the downstream side of the flow is artificial snow generation region 6
Configure as.

A plurality of water spray nozzles 7 are projected in the circumferential direction of the water spray header 10, and the water spray nozzle 7 is composed of a water spray nozzle for ice crystals 7a and a water spray nozzle for snowfall 7b.

An ice crystal nozzle collecting portion 16 is provided in each of the water spray header 10 where the ring is divided into six equal parts.
Is composed of the above water spray nozzle for ice crystals 7a and a U-shaped pipe 17 arranged on the outer periphery so as to surround the nozzle 7a, and four liquefied nitrogen injection nozzles 8 project into each U-shaped pipe 17. (See Figure 3).

That is, the liquefied gas injection nozzle 8 has an annular header 10
Of the plurality of water spray nozzles 7, 7, ..., Which are arranged only on the outer periphery of the ice crystal water spray nozzle 7a, the other snow spray water spray nozzles 7b are not arranged.

In this case, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the water spray nozzle 7a for ice crystals surrounded by the liquefied nitrogen injection nozzle 8 is
Compared to the snow spray water spray nozzle 7b that is not in the surrounding state, the distance A is offset toward the outer diameter of the annular header 10, so that the liquefied nitrogen sprayed from the outer circumference is the ice crystal water spray nozzle.
Cools the water mist sprayed from 7a intensively.Promotes the adhesion of water mist sprayed from the snow spray water spray nozzle 7b on the inner diameter side to the ice crystals generated in the ice crystal nozzle collecting section 16. It has an effect of effectively contributing to artificial snow.

Reference numeral 20 is a water spray nozzle 7 of the annular header 10.
The reference numeral 21 is a liquefied nitrogen supply source connected to the liquefied nitrogen injection nozzle 8 of the header 10.

Therefore, the function of the fan type artificial snow making apparatus will be described.

By the rotation of the blower fan 3, the outside air is ventilated from the intake port 5 along the ventilation path 2 and is blown out from the blow-out port 4 to the artificial snow generation region 6 following it.

The mist of water sprayed from the water spray nozzle 7 of the annular header 10 attached to the blowout port 4 is entrained in the artificial snow generation region 6 while being entrained in the air flow passing through the ventilation path 2 along the guide vanes 15. Spread.

In this case, the specific water spray nozzle 7 (that is, the ice crystal nozzle
Since 7a) is surrounded by a plurality of liquefied nitrogen injection nozzles 8, the periphery of the ice crystal water spray nozzle 7a is cooled particularly strongly by removing the heat of vaporization by the liquefied nitrogen injected from the liquefied nitrogen injection nozzle 8, The mist of water sprayed from the center immediately contacts the cooling atmosphere and is frozen, and ice crystals are smoothly generated.

Then, the water droplets sprayed from the snow spray water spray nozzles 7b, 7b ... And filling the artificial snow generation region 6 adhere to the ice crystals generated on the outer diameter side to rapidly generate artificial snow.

As a result, for example, even when the wet-bulb temperature is in a relatively high temperature range of about −0.5 ° C. to −3 ° C., it is not significantly affected by the outside air temperature, and ice crystals, which are the core of the snow, are quickly generated, resulting in good quality. Can produce artificial snow.

Further, since the liquefied gas injection nozzle 8 does not face the intake port 5 as in the case of the related art 2 described above but faces the artificial snow generation region 6, the liquefied gas injection nozzle 8 is sprayed on the region 6 together with the formation of ice crystals. The water mist is also cooled to some extent directly to promote crystal growth from ice crystals to snow.

Moreover, since the liquefied nitrogen is sprayed only on the outer periphery of a part of the plurality of water spray nozzles 7 and is mainly used mainly for the production of ice crystals, the consumption amount thereof is smaller than the conventional one, for example, 1 t. Liquefied nitrogen consumption is 10
0 to 400 kg is enough.

In addition, as described above, in view of a snow generation mechanism in which water droplets having a small particle diameter become ice crystals with dust in the air as nuclei, the ice crystal water spray nozzle 7a is a snow increasing water that is not in an enclosed state. It is preferable to adjust so as to spray water droplets having a smaller particle size than the spray nozzle 7b.

Therefore, for this purpose, the ice crystal water spray nozzle 7a,
A more preferable effect can be obtained by using a nozzle that ejects a mixed fluid of water and compressed air (so-called two-fluid nozzle) instead of the nozzle that sprays water alone.

FIG. 5 to FIG. 7 are gun-type artificial snow making devices showing a second embodiment.

In the gun type, as shown in the drawing, a main body case 1 is provided with a water supply unit 30 and a compressed air supply unit 31,
The outlet 4 is opened at one end of the main body case 1, the water supply unit 30 is connected to the water supply unit 20, and the compressed air supply unit 31 is connected to the compressor 32, and the water from the water supply unit 30 and the compressed air supply unit 31 are connected. It is different from the fan type in that the mixed fluid with the compressed air from (1) is ejected from the air outlet (4).

In the second embodiment, a water spray mechanism for ice crystals (corresponding to an ice crystal nozzle assembly 24 described later) is independently added to a gun-type basic structure of a mechanism for blowing water and compressed air, and the fan is used. Similar to the type of embodiment, it is characterized in that the formation of ice crystals is promoted.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, an annular water spray header 22 as in the first embodiment is attached to the main body case 1 facing the air outlet 4, and the water spray header 22 is provided with an ice crystal nozzle. A plurality of aggregates 24 are provided.

The ice crystal nozzle assembly 24 includes a plurality of ice crystal water spray nozzles 7a, 7a ...
And a square pipe 23 arranged so as to surround each ice crystal water spray nozzle 7a.
The individual liquefied nitrogen injection nozzles 8 are projected.

In this case, as described above, the nozzle 8 of the square pipe 23
The basic function of exerting the cold heat of vaporization of liquefied nitrogen injected from the mist of water sprayed from the water spray nozzle 7 at the center thereof to rapidly generate ice crystals is the same as that of the fan type device. It is the same.

FIG. 8 shows the third embodiment, and in the gun type manufacturing apparatus like the second embodiment, instead of the structure in which the water spray header 22 is arranged at the outlet 4, the water spray nozzle 7 and the liquefied nitrogen injection surrounding the same are sprayed. The ice crystal nozzle assembly 24 together with the nozzle 8 is configured as an attachment type, and a plurality of artificial snow generation regions 6 continuing to the downstream side of the outlet 4 are exposed.

In the third embodiment, since it is only necessary to attach the predetermined attachment to the existing gun-type artificial snow making device, the structure of the entire device is simpler than that of the second embodiment, and the assembling work is easy.

In the present invention, it has been stated that the water spray nozzle for ice crystals 7a may be either a nozzle that sprays water alone or a nozzle that sprays a mixed fluid of water and compressed air, but in the case of a fan type, The snow spray nozzle 7b can also be appropriately selected from the above two nozzles.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 8 show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional view of a fan type artificial snow making apparatus showing Embodiment 1, and FIG. 2 is a schematic overall view of the apparatus. FIG. 3 is a front view of an annular water spray header, FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of a liquefied nitrogen injection nozzle, and FIG. 5 is a schematic overall view of a gun-type artificial snow making device showing a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged front view of the water spray header of the second embodiment, FIG. 7 is a right side view of a main part of the water spray header, and FIG. 8 is a schematic explanatory view of the vicinity of the air outlet showing the third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic overall view of an artificial snow making apparatus showing the prior art 1, and FIG. 10 is a schematic overall view of an artificial snow making apparatus showing the prior art 2. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Main body case, 2 ... Ventilation path, 3 ... Blower fan, 4 ... Air outlet, 6 ... Artificial snow production area, 7 ... Water spray nozzle, 7a ... Ice crystal water spray nozzle, 7b ... Snow increase water spray nozzle, 8 ... Liquefied gas injection nozzle, 30 ... Water supply section, 31 ... Air compression section.

Front page continued (72) Koji Saito, 1095 Katsube-cho, Moriyama City, Shiga Prefecture, Shiga Technical Center, Iwatani Sangyo Kaisha (72) Inventor, Mineo Fukiharu 2-7-1 Hatchobori, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Iwatani Corporation Tokyo head office

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A ventilation passage 2 is formed in a main body case 1, a blower fan 3 is arranged in the ventilation passage 2, an air outlet 4 is opened on the outlet side of the air passage 2, and a ventilation outlet 4 A front space continuing to the side is configured as an artificial snow generation region 6, a plurality of water spray nozzles 7 are exposed to the artificial snow generation region 6, and a liquefied gas injection nozzle is provided in any of the ventilation passage 2 to the artificial snow generation region 6. In the artificial snow making device facing 8 the liquefied gas injection nozzle 8 faces the artificial snow generation region 6 and a part of the plurality of water spray nozzles 7 is used as an ice crystal water spray nozzle 7a. A plurality of liquefied gas injection nozzles 8 are arranged on the outer periphery of the spray nozzle 7a so that the spray water of the enclosed ice crystal water spray nozzle 7a is cooled by the spray liquid gas of the surrounding liquefied gas injection nozzles 8. An artificial snow making device characterized in that 2. A main body case 1 is provided with a water supply part 30 and a compressed air supply part 31, and an air outlet 4 is opened at one end of the main body case 1,
Water from the water supply unit 30 and compressed air from the compressed air supply unit 31 are ejected from the air outlet 4 to form a front space continuing to the lower distribution side of the air outlet 4 in the artificial snow generation region 6, and The ice crystal water spray nozzle 7a faces the artificial snow generation region 6 separately from the water supply unit 30, and the ice crystal water spray nozzle 7a
It is arranged so as to surround a plurality of liquefied gas injection nozzles 8 on the outer periphery of, and the spray water of the enclosed ice crystal water spray nozzle 7a is configured to be cooled by the sprayed liquefied gas of the surrounding liquefied gas injection nozzles 8. An artificial snow making device characterized in that