A method for containing wind-driven snow, sleet, ice and other particulate to prevent it from drifting on paths of travel and becoming airborne, obscuring visibility, and drifting. Method involves the application of liquid, slurry, foam, gel, powder, or heat to a desired treatment area with a field of snow in a diffuse pattern. The applied treatment prevents the movement of the loose precipitation either by mixing with the precipitation and freezing to form a crust or alternatively by creating a liquid or semi-liquid slush that is not easily displaced by high winds.

Disclosed is a fan gun snowmaker that utilizes an external nucleation device to create atomized water mist that is broken apart and frozen by a transverse air jet to create frozen nuclei, or snow seed. Further, flat spray nozzles that are normally used for spray washing and power washing are used that create a flat fan spray at the opening of the fan gun, rather than typical cone-shaped sprayers. The fan spray better disperses the water molecules into the cold, ambient air, which then combine with the frozen nuclei to create snowflakes. The fan gun is portable and lightweight and has anchors at each end that also function as jacks.

A method and apparatus to create falling snow for use at ski resorts, theme parks and test and training facilities for use with drones, motor vehicles, autonomous vehicles and aircraft components.

A snow making apparatus includes: a snow making container having an inner space for snow making; a supply unit configured to supply fine snow or fine water droplets to the inner space; a catching unit configured to catch the fine snow or the fine snow formed of the water droplets; and a drive unit configured to move the catching unit toward a place where the fine snow is flying in the inner space. The catching unit is configured to be shaken thereby making snow caught by the catching unit fall off from the catching unit.

A method and apparatus to create falling snow for use at ski resorts, theme parks and test and training facilities for use with drones, motor vehicles, autonomous vehicles and aircraft components.

A method and apparatus to create falling snow for use at ski resorts, theme parks and test and training facilities for use with drones, motor vehicles, autonomous vehicles and aircraft components.

A water gathering and distribution system and related techniques for operating in freezing environmental conditions are disclosed. The system may include a water diverter unit or a water flow regulation unit configured to receive water from a water source situated at a location that is remote, inaccessible (or difficult to access), and/or experiences freezing environmental conditions and to deliver a controlled volume of that water for downstream use. The system further may include a water supply unit configured to receive that water and to supply it to downstream snowmaking equipment. In some instances, the supply unit also may cool the water to a temperature suitable, for example, for snowmaking. In a general sense, the disclosed system may be considered modular, in that multiple system components may be placed in flow communication with one another, as desired, to provide a distributed network of water collection and distribution elements.

A nozzle device and method for creating a fluid nucleation in situ, is disclosed. The nozzle has a housing having a hollow interior, an outer cylindrical wall, and inlet and an outlet, and a diffuser disposed in the cylindrical tube at a first end toward the inlet. The diffuser is configured to break bonds between adjoining fluid molecules and create a nucleation event. The nozzle further has a mesh framework disposed in the cylindrical tube and extending longitudinally within the tube in the nucleation zone, and is configured to manipulate the bonding and un-bonding of water molecules within a pressurized environment for the production of snow, clean water or both.

The invention is a means of regulating how much snow is produced by a snowmaking machine based on the moisture in the environment. It utilizes a moisture sensor (such as a soil sensor), and a processor measures the resistance to determine how much snow should be made. The snow maker then receives this information and adjusts the quantity of snow that it produces. By using this invention, the value of water will be maximized and the snow will be made with the greatest efficiency.

A climate facility comprises one or more recreation areas with an ice or snow cover; a climate control system which keeps the facility at a temperature above freezing in a range such that a portion of the snow or ice melts on a predetermined cycle; a drainage system to collect the melt; and a recycle system to use the melt in the formation of new snow.