Control system for an artificial snow making plant

• US 9,200,825 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2013
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Technoalpin Holding SpA
• Original Assignee: Technoalpin Holding SpA
• Inventors: Rieder, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Gorman, Darren W
• Application Number:
  US13/919,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20140091158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 239/2.2, 239/14.2, 239/63, 239/67, 239/68, 239/71, 239/75, 700/241, 700/283
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/085 responsive to flow or pressure of liquid or other fluent material to be discharged B05B1/3006, B05B1/323, B05B7/1254 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2303/048 Snow making by using means for spraying water
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 3/04 for sledging or ski trails; Producing artificial snow

Abstract

Described is a system (1) for controlling an artificial snow making plant (100) having a plurality of snow making apparatuses (101) positioned along a ski run and connected to a communication line (102), comprising a processing unit (2) in data connection with the communication line (102) and being designed for:

• • receiving a status signal (S) from each snow making apparatus (101) representing the quantity of snow currently produced by the relative snow making apparatus (101);
  • comparing the data contained in each status signal (S) with a respective predetermined single snow making value (P_f) to be reached;
  • generating a condition signal (P) of the apparatuses (101) as a function of the comparison; —generating a condition signal P of the ski run as a function of the contents of the condition signal (A) of the apparatuses (101).

Claims

1. A system (1) for controlling an artificial snow making plant (100) having a plurality of snow making apparatuses (101) positioned along a ski run and connected to a communication line (102), comprising:

a processing unit (2) connected with the communication line (102);

the processing unit (2) being programmed so that it can;

receive a status signal (S) from each snow making apparatus (101);

the status signal (S) representing a quantity of snow currently produced by the relative snow making apparatus (101), wherein the relative snow making apparatus (101) comprises a process unit (108) that generates the status signal (S) as a function of a pressure of the snow making liquid fed to the apparatus (101) and of a number of open and/or closed passage valves;

compare the data contained in each status signal (S) with a respective predetermined single snow making value (P_f) to be reached and representing a preset quantity of snow to be produced;

generate a condition signal (A) of the apparatuses (101) as a function of the comparison;

the condition signal (A) of the apparatuses (101) representing the difference between the quantity of snow currently produced by each apparatus (101) and the respective single snow making value (P_f);

generate a condition signal (P) of the ski run as a function of the contents of the condition signal (A) of the apparatuses (101);

the condition signal (P) of the ski run representing the current snow status of the ski run for identifying geographical areas of the ski run which have a snow covering level less than a predetermined minimum level.

2. The control system (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the processing unit (2) is programmed so that it can:

determine the number of apparatuses (101) which have currently produced a quantity of snow greater than the respective single snow making value (P_f);

compare the number of apparatuses (101) determined with a predetermined minimum insolvency value (P_f);

determine the condition signal (P) of the ski run as a function of the comparison.

3. The control system (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the processing unit (2) is further programmed so that it can:

compare the data contained in each status signal (S) with a respective predetermined minimum snow making value (P_min) representing a minimum quantity of snow;

the predetermined minimum snow making value (P_min) being less than the single snow making value (P_f);

modify the condition signal (A) of the apparatuses (101) as a function of the comparison.

4. The control system (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that the predetermined minimum snow making value (P_min) is defined by a reference curve variable over time;

the processing unit (2) being programmed so that it can perform periodically the comparison of the data contained in each status signal (S) with the minimum snow making value (P_min) with reference to the data contained in each status signal (S) at a predetermined moment in time (D_a) with the minimum snow making value (P _n) referred to the same predetermined moment in time (D_a).

5. The control system (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a storage unit (4) connected to the processing unit (2) in which the data relative to the quantity of snow produced by the snow making apparatuses (101) in previous years is stored with reference to an annual period corresponding to the current period.

6. The control system (1) according to claim 5, characterised in that the processing unit (2) is programmed so that it can calculate the overall remaining snow making time to reach an overall snow making value as a function of the data contained in the status signal (S), in the condition signal (A) of the apparatuses (101) and as a function of the data contained in the storage unit (4);

the overall snow making value being defined by the sum of the single snow making values (P_f).

7. The control system (1) according to claim 6, characterised in that the processing unit (2) is programmed so that it can:

calculate the remaining single snow making time (T_INN) relative to each apparatus (101) for reaching the predetermined single snow making value (P_f) as a function of the data contained in the status signal (S), the data contained in the condition signal (A) of the apparatus (101) and the data contained in the storage unit (4);

identify, between the calculated single snow making times (T_INN), the maximum remaining single snow making time (T_INN);

the overall remaining snow making time for reaching the overall value being defined by the maximum calculated remaining single snow making time (T_INN).

8. The control system (1) according to claim 7, characterised in that the processing unit (2) is programmed so that it can calculate the remaining quantity of snow (P_RIM) to be produced for reaching the single snow making value (P_f) as a function of the data contained in the condition signal of the apparatuses (A) and as a function of the data contained in the storage unit (4).

9. The control system (1) according to claim 8, characterised in that the processing unit (2) is programmed so that it can calculate the remaining single snow making time (T_INN) as a function of the current snow production of the apparatus in a predetermined temperature range;

the remaining single snow making time (T_INN) being calculated by dividing the value of the remaining quantity of snow (P_RIM) by an average historical flow value (F_sto) representing the average quantity (P_sto) of snow produced in the past in a period corresponding to the current period in the same temperature range and multiplying the result of the division by a historical single snow making time (T_INN-STO) relative to the average time historically taken by an apparatus (101) to cover with snow a certain area;

the average historical flow value (F_STO), historical average quantity (P_STO), historical single snow making time (T_INN-STO) being stored in the storage unit (4).

10. The control system (1) according to claim 8, characterised in that, if the storage unit (4) does not contain data regarding the snow making in periods of the year corresponding to the current one, the processing unit (2) is programmed so that it can calculate a maximum single snow making time (T_INN-MAX) and a minimum single snow making time (T_INN-MIN) in a predetermined temperature range;

the maximum single snow making time (T_INN-MAX) being calculated by dividing the value of the remaining quantity of snow (P_RIM) by a predetermined minimum flow value (F_MIN) representing the quantity of snow which can be produced in the unit of time by a first type of snow making apparatus (101) in the temperature range;

the minimum single snow making time (T_INN-MIN) being calculated by dividing the value of the remaining quantity of snow (P_RIM) by a predetermined maximum flow value (F_MAX) representing the quantity of snow which can be produced by a second type of snow making apparatus (101) in the temperature range;

the remaining single snow making time (T_INN) being between the maximum single snow making time (T_INN-MAX) and the minimum single snow making time (T_INN-MIN);

the first type of apparatus (101) having a snow production performance less than the snow production performance of the second type of apparatus (101).

11. The control system (1) according to claim 7, characterised in that it comprises a graphics interface (5) connected to the processing unit (2) for displaying, in real time, the overall remaining snow making time for reaching the overall final snow making value, the remaining single snow making time (T_INN) for reaching the single snow making value (P_f), the contents of the condition signal (A) of the apparatuses (101), the contents of the condition signal (P) of the ski run and the geographical map along which the snow making plant (100) is installed.

12. An artificial snow making plant (100) comprising:

a plurality of snow making apparatuses (101) each comprising a unit (104) for feeding a snow making liquid and a snow making device (103) for generating the artificial snow connected to the feeding unit (104) for drawing the snow making liquid;

characterised in that it comprises a control system (1) according to claim 1.

13. The snow making plant (100) according to claim 12 characterised in that the quantity of snow produced by each snow making apparatus (101) is calculated on the basis of the quantity of snow making liquid passing in the relative unit (104) for feeding the snow making liquid.