WO2000025072A1 - Multipurpose spray head useful in particular for making artificial snow - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a spray head (1) consisting of a sleeve (64) provided with sprayers (75) and divided into several chambers (66, 70, and 72), by a core element (65) comprising several internal partitions (67, 69, 71 and 73). Each chamber is fed by passages and the main chamber (66) is fed by a passage which passes through the cap (84), said cap comprising at least a spraying device (91) in the form of a mini snow gun operating as nucleator.

Description

VERSATILE SPRAY HEAD USABLE IN PARTICULAR FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL SNOW

The present invention relates to a spray head usable in particular for the manufacture of artificial snow. This spray head is more particularly intended for an installation of the type described in document FR-2,743,872.

For this type of installation, it is advantageous to be able to have a spray head which easily adapts to all the constraints linked to its use, such as for example the constraints linked to the climatic conditions of the site of the installation.

The present invention provides a versatile spray head which includes means enabling it to manufacture quantities of artificial snow, adapted to variations in climatic conditions.

The spray head according to the invention comprises at least two nozzles supplied separately by pressurized water circuits, these nozzles are arranged radially on the periphery of a tubular jacket whose axis is close to the vertical in the normal operating conditions, which jacket contains a core which is provided with radial partitions for sealingly dividing the internal space of said jacket into several chambers, a main chamber and at least one secondary chamber which is implemented after the main chamber if necessary, which chambers serve to supply one or more nozzles, which core is provided with internal channels connected to said pressurized water circuits so as to supply each chamber. Still according to the invention, the upper part of the spray head comprises a cap provided with at least one spray device acting as nucleator and placed next to or in the field of the nozzle (s) of the main chamber, which device , in the form of a cartridge, is supplied with water and pressurized air, which supply takes place, for water, by the supply channel of said main chamber, which channel passes through said cap, and the supply of air is carried out by means of a specific channel arranged in the core and in the cap, in the center of these. According to another arrangement of the invention, the orifice (s) for the entry of pressurized water from the nucleation device are located in a zone of the cap of the spray head, which is arranged so as to allow permanent circulation of pressurized water around said orifices in order, in addition to supplying said orifices, to avoid freezing phenomena at the level of the latter.

According to another arrangement of the invention, still with the aim of avoiding the phenomena of freezing at the level of the head, the different supply channels of the chambers of said head open out at the bottom of each chamber thus allowing total emptying. of these latter when the installation stopped. In the case where the channel of the main chamber passes through the cap, said channel comprises in its return branch going from said cap to said main chamber, a drain channel which extends between the lower end of said chamber and the channel d arrival in the nucleus.

According to a variant of the invention, the nucleation device, still in the form of a cartridge, is integrated radially into the spray head, passing through the tubular jacket and it is fitted into the central core of said head up to the channel of pressurized air inlet, which device is supplied with water directly from the main chamber of said head, in which its pressurized water inlet orifices are located.

According to a variant, the nucleation device comprises a cartridge constituting the mixing chamber and two nozzles for spraying the air-water mixture, each nozzle being oriented parallel to the faces of the dihedrons in which, for example, the water spray nozzles are aligned. under pressure.

In the various cases above, the body of the nucleation device soaks in the water which circulates in the main chamber, preventing freezing and blockage of the small orifice (s) due to the permanent circulation of water in said chamber. .

According to the invention, the spray head comprises a foot which is arranged so as to allow its attachment to a pole, which pole comprises for example several water supply conduits and possibly pressurized air, which conduits are arranged in relation to orifices arranged in said foot to supply the various nozzles of said head. The invention will be further detailed with the aid of the following description and the appended drawings, given for information only, and in which:

- Figure 1 shows a spray head according to the invention in axial vertical section;

- Figure 2 shows in detail and enlarged, an orifice for introducing pressurized water into the mixing chamber of the nucleation device;

- Figure 3 shows a top view of the spray head;

- Figure 4 shows the head in section along 4-4 of Figure 1

- Figure 5 shows the head in section along 5-5 of Figure 1 - Figure 6 shows the head in section along 6-6 of Figure 1

- Figure 7 shows a variant of the spray head shown in Figure 1, in axial vertical section;

- Figure 8 shows a section along 8-8 of Figure 7;

- Figure 9 shows a variant of a nucleation device with two nozzles, common to two rows of spray nozzles.

The spray head shown in FIG. 1 is more particularly intended to be installed at the end of a pole as in the case of the installation described in the aforementioned patent FR-2,743,872 of the applicant. Between the spray head 1 proper and the upper end of the mast 2, a piece 63 can serve as an intermediary, as shown in FIG. 1. This piece 63 is slightly bent to give the head 1 a favorable inclination, close to the vertical, or slightly inclined to cause water spraying at an angle which favors projection over the greatest possible distance depending on needs and site. The spray head consists of a tubular jacket 64 and a cylindrical core 65 centered in said jacket, and whose diameter is less than that of said jacket to allow the passage of water under pressure. The core 65 comprises circular radial partitions which divide the internal space between the jacket 64 and said core, in several chambers.

Thus there is - a main chamber 66, at the upper part of the spray head, delimited by the partitions 67 and 69 of the core 65, - an intermediate chamber 70 delimited by the partitions 69 and 71 and a lower chamber 72 delimited by the partitions 71 and 73. The partition 73 is located at the lower part of the core 65 and the partition 67 at the upper part.

Each chamber supplies one or more nozzles 75 located on one or more generators of the cylindrical envelope of the jacket 64. The chamber 66 which constitutes the main chamber, may comprise several nozzles 75 distributed over several generators.

The sprinklers 75 of the chambers 70 and 72 are complementary sprinklers which are used independently of those of the chamber 66, depending on the climatic conditions to increase the quantities of snow produced according to these climatic conditions.

Each room is supplied by a channel which opens at its lower part.

Note, in Figure 1, the orifice 76 which opens into the chamber 66 at its lower part, that is to say at the level of the partition 69 of the core 65. An orifice 77 opens at the lower part of the chamber 70 at level of the partition 71, and an orifice 79 opens into the chamber 72 at the level of the partition 73.

The seal between the jacket 64 and the various partitions 67, 69, 71 and 73 is produced by means of O-ring seals 80 arranged in the thickness of said partitions.

The lower part of the core 65 has a base 81 in the form of a radial shoulder, on which the lower end 82 of the jacket 64 bears. The core 65 extends above the upper end 83 of the jacket 64 and it is covered by a cap 84 which is fixed by screws 85 taken in the upper cylindrical end 86 of the core 65. The joint plane 87 between the jacket 64 and the cap 84 is disposed between the O-ring 80 of the partition 67 and an O-ring 89 disposed in a groove arranged in the upper cylindrical end 86 of the core 65.

The cap 84 is positioned relative to the core 65 in a precise manner either by means of an original distribution of the screws 85 and / or a centering pin 90.

This position of the cap 84 enables the jacket 64 to be placed in a precise position also by means of the centering pin 90 interposed between the two at the joint plane 87.

The cap 84 comprises at least one nucleation device 91 which in fact acts as nucleator, for manufacturing particles of ice or snow which then will seed the various jets coming from the nozzles 75 of the spray head. This nucleation device 91 comprises a cylindrical cartridge-shaped body 92 inserted radially into an orifice fitted for this purpose in the cap 84, and a nozzle or nozzle 93 which is preferably oriented towards the jets of the different nozzles or nozzles 75 so to carry out the seeding.

The cartridge 92 of the nucleation device is fixed by any appropriate means in the cap 84, by screwing for example; it will be detailed later. The sprinklers 75 are supplied with pressurized water from channels which bring the pressurized water into the different chambers. The distribution of these channels in the core 65 appears on the different sections represented in FIGS. 4 to 6 and, in dotted lines in FIG. 1.

The nucleation device 91 which in fact constitutes a sort of mini high pressure snow cannon with very high air / water ratio, at least equal to

200, is supplied with pressurized water by means of one of the chambers supply channels and in particular by means of the channel which supplies the main chamber 66.

This mini cannon is also supplied with pressurized air. Note, in Figures 4 to 6 and Figure 1, a channel 95 disposed in the center of the core 65, which extends into the cap 84, in the form of a central blind hole. This channel 95 allows the pressurized air to be brought up to the level of the nucleation device 91 and in particular at the downstream inlet of the mixing chamber of said device, detailed below.

The chamber 66 is arranged just below the nucleation device 91; it is supplied with pressurized water by means of a channel 96 which also extends into the cap 84, which cap has an annular cavity 97 which is crossed by the cartridge 92 of the nucleation device 91. Thus the channel 96 extends over the entire length of the core 65; it communicates with the annular cavity 97 arranged in the cap 84 and a second channel 99 arranged in the core 65 extends from said cavity 97 of the cap 84, to the lower part of the chamber 66, opening at the level of the orifice 76 in said chamber to supply the latter.

Note, Figures 1 and 4, that the chamber 66 supplies several nozzles 75, arranged in pairs on two different generators. These nozzles 75 are aligned vertically with the nozzles arranged at the level of the other chambers 70 and 72 and also with the nucleation devices 91.

As indicated above, the orifice 76 is located at the lower part of the chamber 66. We note, in the extension of this orifice 76, a small channel 100 of small diameter, which extends between the channel 99 and the channel 96 , arranged in such a way that it allows total drainage of the water located in the chamber 66, when the water supply is cut off.

The diameter of this channel 100 is of the order of 1 / 5th of the diameter of the channels 96 and 99 in order to maintain a preferential circulation of the water under pressure, in the cavity 97 of the cap 84.

FIG. 5 shows a section at the orifice 77 which allows the supply of the chamber 70 and the nozzles 75. This orifice 77 is supplied by means of a channel 101 which extends axially in the core 65.

Also found in Figure 5, the channel 95 disposed in the center of the core in which the compressed air circulates and the channel 96 which is used to supply the chamber

66 and at the same time, to supply the nucleation devices 91 while ensuring around these nucleation devices, a constant circulation of water which makes it possible to avoid the phenomenon of freezing. Figure 6 corresponds to a section at the orifice 79 which serves to supply the chamber 72 and the lower nozzles 75. This chamber 72 is supplied by means of a channel 102 which extends parallel to the channel 101, to the channel 96 and the central channel 95 which is used for the passage of compressed air. Note that the channel 102 is located under the channel 99, centered practically on the same axis. The lower end of the channel 99 and the upper end of the channel 102 are separated by a distance which corresponds substantially to the height of the chamber 70.

FIG. 2 shows the detail of one of the orifices for introducing pressurized water into the cartridge 92 of the nucleation device 91.

This cartridge 92, of tubular shape, has in its central part an axial chamber 103 which opens downstream on the side of the nozzle 93 and which is open upstream on the channel 95 in the cap 84.

The diameter of the axial mixing chamber 103 is substantially greater than the diameter of the outlet nozzle 93. The pressurized water which is used to feed the main chamber 66 is introduced radially into the mixing chamber 103 by means of orifices. 94, preferably three orifices distributed over the periphery of the cartridge 92, the jets of which may be concurrent on the axis of said mixing chamber. These orifices 94, one of which is shown in section and in an enlarged manner in FIG. 2, are situated rather upstream of the mixing chamber 103.

As shown in Figure 2, the outer wall of the cartridge 92 is drilled radially with a first hole 104 whose diameter is less than 1 mm, and a second hole or countersinking 105 of much larger diameter. The diameter of the hole 105 is of the order of ten times the diameter of the hole 104. The length of the hole 104 is of the same order as its diameter. Thus the pressurized water is injected into the mixing chamber 103 by passing through a sort of diaphragm which thus allows the nucleation device 91 to operate whatever the pressure of the water introduced into the main chamber 66 for feeding the sprinklers 75.

By way of example, the nucleation device can have the following characteristics: for an outlet at the level of the nozzle 93 of the order 5.2 mm, a diameter will be adopted for the mixing chamber 103 of the order of 7 mm and each of the three orifices 104 will have a diameter of the order of 0.6 mm.

The operation of this nucleation device 91 is similar to a mini snow cannon of the high pressure type, in which the air / water ratio is very high, at least equal to 200 and preferably much higher.

The spray head 1 and in particular the base 106 of the core 65 is fixed by means of screws 107 on the intermediate connector 63, which connector 63 is itself fixed by means of screws not shown, on the end of the mast 25 FIG. 3 shows the distribution of the screws 85 which make it possible to fix the cap 84 on the upper end of the core 65. The distribution of the screws is such, as indicated previously, that it imposes a precise orientation of the head relative to the core 65 and consequently, an orientation defined also for the jacket 64 which carries the nozzles 75, by means of the centering pin 90 interposed between said jacket and said core.

FIG. 7 represents a variant of the spray head represented in FIG. 1.

In this variant, we find the same arrangement of the chambers 66, 70 and 72. A simplification appears due to the implantation of the nucleation device (s) 91. The nucleation device is in fact incorporated directly at the level of the part lower of chamber 66.

This figure 7 shows a portion of the intermediate piece 63 on which the core 65 'is fixed. The core 65 'is in the form of a molded and machined part, made of light alloy, and resembles a sort of hydraulic drawer threaded in an envelope 64'. This envelope 64 ′ is itself made up of a molded piece of light alloy, held between the lower shoulder 81 of the core and the cap 84 ′ which is fixed by screws 85 ′ to the upper end 86 ′ of the core 85 '.

The chambers 66, 70 and 72 are, as before, arranged between partitions. Thus we find the upper partition 67 which delimits with the partition 69, the annular chamber 66. The annular chamber 70 is delimited by the partition 69 and the partition 71. This partition 71 is interposed between the chamber 70 and the chamber 72, which annular chamber 72 is delimited at its lower part by the partition or shoulder 73. To facilitate assembly , the partitions may have diameters which increase slightly from the end of the core to its base 81.

These chambers are supplied as previously for the head shown in FIG. 1, by conduits which appear in thin broken lines and which open out by means of a radial borehole at the bottom of each of said chambers. These radial boreholes are also inclined so as to allow effective and total emptying of each of the chambers to prevent freezing when the spraying stops.

Thus, there is the orifice 76 which makes it possible to introduce the pressurized water into the chamber 66. This introduction into the chamber 66 takes place directly at the lower part without passing as previously, in FIG. 1, through the cap 84.

The chamber 70 is supplied by the orifice 77 and the chamber 72 is supplied by the orifice 79.

A central duct 95, in the core 65 ′, makes it possible to bring the pressurized air to the nucleation device 91. This nucleation device is presented as previously in FIG. 1, in the form of a cartridge 92. This cartridge 92 passes through the wall of the envelope 64 ′, in a sealed manner, and it is for example screwed onto this wall; it fits into an orifice 110 arranged radially in the core 65 ', which orifice opens into the channel 95 for supplying air under pressure.

Thus, the nucleation device is supplied with pressurized air at the upstream end of its mixing chamber 103, and the supply of pressurized water is carried out by means of one or more orifices 94 arranged in the wall of the cartridge 92. These orifices 94 are located in the chamber 66, supplied directly with pressurized water at the same time as the spray nozzles 75. The cartridge 92 of the nucleation device 91 soaks in the water which circulates in the chamber 66 which makes it possible to avoid the phenomena of freezing and plugging of the holes which allow the injection of the water into the mixing chamber 103. As shown in Figure 8, the core 65 'and the tubular jacket 64' can be arranged to allow positioning of nucleation devices 91, making an angle close to 90 ° between them. These nucleation devices are arranged at the lower part of the main chamber 66, each under a vertical row of spray nozzles 75, which nozzles are shown three in number in FIG. 7, on the same line and in the same vertical plane.

In this vertical plane in which there is a nucleator 91 and the nozzles 75 of the main chamber 66, there are also the spray nozzles 75 associated with the chambers 70 and 72 located under the main chamber 66.

Note also that the cartridge 92 of the nucleation device (s) 91 serves to angularly position the chamber 64 'of the spray head relative to the core 65' due to its radial fitting in said jacket and said core. The nozzle 93 of the nucleation device 91 is oriented like all the nozzles 75, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 109 of the head 1. It is arranged under the nozzles 75 of the main chamber 66 and not above as in the case of the head shown in Figure 1.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show that the core 65 ′ has a countersink 111 at each of the orifices 110 in which the cartridge 92 of the nucleation devices 91 is fitted.

These counterbores make it possible to obtain good circulation of the water around the cartridge 92 of the nucleation devices 91 and to provide sufficient space to accommodate the orifices 94 of the cartridges 92, at the level of which the entry of the pressurized water in said cartridge and in particular in the mixing chamber 103. The orifices 94 of the nucleation devices represented in FIG. 7 correspond to the orifices 94 represented in FIG. 2 in connection with FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 shows an alternative embodiment of the mounting of the nucleation device on the spray heads in the form of columns represented in FIGS. 1 and 7.

The nucleation device 91 'comprises a cartridge 92' which is provided with two nozzles or nozzles 93 '. The cartridge is centered in the median plane of the dihedron formed by the two rows of spray nozzles 75 while the nozzles 93 'are oriented parallel and respectively to each face of said dihedron.

This particular arrangement makes it possible to carry out seeding with a single nucleator, which nucleator comprises, in this case, orifices

94 in the cartridge 92 ′, for the injection of water, which are appreciably superior to those of the previous assemblies. This further reduces the risk of freezing of the orifice (s) 104 in particular.

Claims

- CLAIMS - 1.- Spray head comprising several nozzles or nozzles (75) supplied separately by pressurized water circuits, characterized in that said nozzles are arranged radially on the periphery of a tubular jacket (64, 64 ') whose normal operating position is close to the vertical, which jacket contains a core (65, 65') which is provided with radial partitions (67, 69, 71 and 73) to seal the internal space of said jacket in several chambers (66, 70 and 72), a main chamber (66) and at least one secondary chamber (70, 72), which chambers serve to supply one or more nozzles or nozzles (75), which core is provided with internal channels connected to said pressurized water circuit so as to supply said chambers. 2.- spray head according to claim 1, characterized in that the channels (99, 101 and 102) which serve respectively to supply the chambers (66, 70 and 72), open at the bottom of said chambers, thus allowing a complete emptying of the latter when the installation is stopped. 3.- spray head according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the upper part of said head comprises a cap (84) provided with at least one spray device (91) acting as nucleator, arranged next to or in the field of the nozzle (s) (75) of the main chamber (66), which spraying device is supplied with water and pressurized air, which water supply takes place by means of the channel ( 96) serving to supply said main chamber, which channel (96) passes through said cap (84) by means of an annular cavity (97) and continues in the core (65) by means of a channel (99), and the air supply to the spraying device (91) is effected by means of a specific channel (95) arranged in the core (65) and in the cap (84), in the center of the latter. 4.- spray head according to claim 3, characterized in that the channel (99) of the main chamber (66) comprises a channel (100) of small section which extends between the lower end of said chamber and the channel (96) which brings the water to the channel (99) after having passed through the cap (84) through the annular cavity (97). 5.- spray head according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises at least one nucleation device radially integrated in the tubular jacket (64 ') and in the core (65'), which nucleation device is supplied with pressurized water directly from the main chamber (66) and pressurized air through the central channel (95) of said core (65 '). 6.- spray head according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a nucleation device (91) disposed in the plane of a row of nozzles (75) for sowing said row. 7.- spray head according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a nucleation device (91 ') disposed in the median plane of the dihedron formed by two rows of nozzles (75) for directly sowing each row through two nozzles (93 ') oriented parallel and respectively to each face of said dihedral.