Snowmaking process
The invention relates to artificial snowmaking and specifically to the discovery that by introducing an effective amount of organo-modified polysiloxane material to the water being supplied to the snow guns, the quality of the snow thus made is significantly enhanced.
1. A method for making intermediate quality snow comprising the steps of:
a) incorporating an amount of organopolysiloxane surfactant into water at a concentration of from about 2 to about 50 ppm organopolysiloxane to produce a snow property enhancingly effective composition;
b) feeding a continuous flow of said composition under high pressure and at a low temperature to at least one orifice;
c) continuously mixing with said flow of said composition a stream of compressed air to form a composition and compressed air mixture at a rate amounting to a minor proportion by weight of said air with reference to the composition; and
d) discharging the composition and compressed air mixture from said at least one orifice in the form of small droplets into the atmosphere at a temperature below freezing;
whereby at least some of the small droplets crystallize to form intermediate quality snow.
2. A method for making intermediate quality snow comprising the steps of:
a) incorporating into water an amount of organopolysiloxane surfactant at a concentration of from about 2 to about 50 ppm organopolysiloxane to produce a snow property enhancingly effective composition, the organopolysiloxane surfactant being of the formula:
M D y D′ x M
wherein
M=Me 3 SiO 0.5
D=Me 2 SiO
D′=Me R SiO
Me=CH 3
R=C n H 2n O(C 2 H 4 O) a (C 3 H 6 O) b R′
wherein n is from 2 to 4;
a is from 3 to 25;
b is from 0 to 25; wherein the oxyalkylene groups are random, block or mixtures of oxyalkylene units;
R′=hydrogen, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or an alkyl ester group wherein the alkyl group of the ester has 1 to 4 carbon atoms
y =0 to 5; and
x =1 to 5; and
b) feeding a continuous flow of said composition under high pressure and at a low temperature to at least one orifice;
c) continuously mixing with said flow of said composition a stream of compressed air to form a composition and compressed air mixture at a rate amounting to a minor proportion by weight of said air with reference to the composition; and
d) discharging the composition and compressed air mixture from said at least one orifice in the form of small droplets into the atmosphere at a temperature below freezing; whereby at least some of the small droplets crystallize to form intermediate quality snow.