Patent ID: 6129290
Filing Date: 2000-10-10
Classification: B05B,F25C

Abstract:
A device for making snow, by use of pressurized water and compressed air, which comprises:means for dividing a flow of pressurized water into a primary water flow and a secondary water flow;means for disintegrating the primary water flow into a multiplicity of water droplets flowing generally downstream along the path of a central axis; and, a nucleator, having an upstream end and a downstream end, and a plurality of atomizers at the downstream end; the nucleator merging the flow of secondary water with a flow of compressed air and discharging the water and air from the plurality of atomizers to form a multiplicity of frozen particle nuclei flowing generally along said axis, so the nuclei intermingle with said multiplicity of primary water droplets to induce said droplets to freeze as snow; the nucleator having a first chamber for receiving secondary water; and,means for causing swirling flow of secondary water inside the first chamber, to thereby cause heat transfer from the secondary water to the nucleator when the nucleator is exposed to external temperatures less than the freezing point of water.