Patent ID: 9470449
Filing Date: 2016-10-18
CPC Classification: B05B,F25C

Claim Text:
1. A snow lance comprising: a body defining a longitudinal axis, at least one ice nucleator nozzle mounted on the body, and said at least one nucleator nozzle being directed radially away from said axis for generating an ice nuclei jet, a first group of water nozzles disposed on said body around said axis, at a first axial distance from said at least one nucleator nozzle, a second group of water nozzles disposed on said body around said axis, at a second axial distance away from said at least one nucleator nozzle, with the second axial distance being smaller than said first axial distance, first and second water channels for independently feeding water to said first and second groups of water nozzles, respectively, the water nozzles of said first group being inclined at a first angle with respect to said axis, and the water nozzles of said second group being inclined at a second angle with respect to said axis, and said first angle being smaller than said second angle so that the nucleator nozzle and all of said water nozzles are directed at a common germination zone around said axis, wherein said nucleator nozzle is a convergent-divergent nozzle which has a compressed air inlet, a water inlet, an outlet, and a channel extends between said air inlet and said outlet, said channel has a converging section, a core section and a diverging section, and the diverging section has a ratio of at least 4:1 between its cross sectional area at the outlet to its cross sectional area at the core section.