Snow cannon for making ski slopes - has adjustable nozzles for water and air to suit different ambient conditions

摘要

The snow cannon is used to make snow for ski slopes when the fall of natural snow is inadequate. The cannon consists of a central tube (8) which receives water from the inlet (2). The water passes through an orifice into the outer tube (7) which receives a supply of primary air from the air inlet (1). The air atomises the water and the mixture is blown through the annular nozzle (3) into the convergent-divergent nozzle (6) where secondary air is drawn in. The cooling due to the expansion of the air causes snow to form which is ejected through the outlet (6c). In order to adapt the cannon to varying ambient conditions the position of the olive (4) can be adjusted axially with respect to nozzle which can in turn be adjusted with respect to the throat (6b) of the convergent-divergent nozzle.