Seven Springs Snowmaking

TomWhite

The Wikipedia article on Seven Springs has much on their snowmaking. Strangely in only goes back to 2009. So the many inventions aren’t discussed. However, it says 39 is the ideal (storage) temperature for water. I didn’t know there was an exact ideal temp. The article (not below) mentions their floating solar panels on their top of the mountain snowmaking lake, it’s big. Last below is SolarBee. That’s a new one on me:

In 2009, Seven Springs was the recipient of the National Ski Areas Association's Silver Eagle Award for Water Conservation/Clean Water techniques based on the resort's internal water conservation techniques and its use of a virtually closed-circuit snowmaking system. The water used for snowmaking is captured in a series of collector ponds at the base of the mountain, which are filled by rain, run-off and melting snow. During the snowmaking process, the water is pumped to the top of the mountain and then with the help of gravity, which minimizes energy use, it is supplied to more than 900 snowmaking towers on the mountain. The water is stored on the slopes in the form of snow until the melting process returns it through channels to the collector ponds for the process to begin again.

That same year, Seven Springs was also commended as a finalist for the Silver Eagle Award for Excellence in Energy Conservation/Clean Energy for its innovative snowmaking technique involving a solar panel.

In order to make snow from the resort's largest holding lake, its water must be maintained at a temperature of 39 degrees Fahrenheit, where water is most dense, while being pumped through the snowmaking nozzles. The resort tried using fountains to keep that water at the optimal snowmaking temperature, but the process was marginally successful.
The resort worked with SolarBee to install of a single solar-powered SB10000v12 unit, specifying optimal placement in the water as well as the most efficient intake depth settings. Capable of circulating 10,000 gallons per minute, the SolarBee circulates cold water from the bottom of the lake, enabling it to be fed directly to the pumps for the snowmaking process. The durable SolarBee provides day and night operation.

TomWhite

SolarBee is a floating water circulation pump powered by solar cells. It pulls deeper cooler lake water up through its chamber. It sends that water out at the surface. This creates a circulation that reduces bacterial growth. It is built by Medoraco Corp. https://www.medoraco.com

newpylong

Yes, too warm and it is difficult to nucleate - that is why you see many areas with cooling towers.

Too cold and the pipes will freeze as water temp drops as it travels further from the pumping source. Areas with this concern actually inject a small amount of warm water when pumping.

bmwskier

Snowmaking has come a long way since I first saw it years and years ago. Holiday Valley made it's own guns consisting of a 4" or so piece of pipe as a mixing chamber, a "Y" attachment at the back for the hoses and a capped end with a smaller pipe at the business end. It's legs were welded on rebar bent appropriately. I wonder if there's one kicking around somewhere there in the boneyard?