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06.09.2024
Heat exchangers optimizing snowmaking at limit temperatures
As the summer comes to an end, many ski areas are already making preparations for the new winter season. As fall approaches, so does the wait for optimum temperature windows. Limit temperatures dominate during this decisive period before Christmas. TechnoAlpin’s analyses have revealed that during the snowmaking phase through to mid-December, more than 70% of snowmaking hours are at wet bulb temperatures between -2C° and -5°C. In order to meet these specific requirements, technology leader TechnoAlpin’s Research & Development team have been focusing on increasing snow output at limit temperatures over the past few years.
One of these central developments is a local heat exchanger for compressed air in propeller snow guns. It was introduced in the TR10 model and is characterized by its exceptionally large cooling surface. The principle is simple: Snow water flows through the water filter. The water filter is encased by the heat exchanger, which pushes the compressed air around the filter in a spiral shape. The hot compressed air from the compressor is routed around the cold snow water and is cooled from approximately 100°C to 10°C — without using any additional energy. Because heat from the compressed air is used, there is no need for additional heating in the water filter, which saves around 30% of the heating power. At absolute limit conditions, this clever solution can be the difference between a total standstill and snowmaking operations as usual.