Snow environment test apparatus and snow environment test method
AssigneeEspec Corp.
InventorsHiroyuki Enoki, Haruki Seto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A snow environment test apparatus includes a first nozzle that injects water particles, a second nozzle that injects water particles smaller in size than the water particles from the first nozzle, an air conditioner that regulates a temperature in a test chamber to a set temperature, a state selection section that sets a state of snow to be caused to fall, and a flow rate regulation valve that regulates a ratio between quantities of water to be supplied to the first nozzle and to the second nozzle for obtaining the state of the snow set by the state selection section at the set temperature as a temperature at which a snow environment is obtained.
Claims11
A snow environment test apparatus for creating a snow environment in a test chamber, the apparatus comprising:
- a first nozzle configured to inject water particles;
- a second nozzle configured to inject water particles smaller in size than the water particles from the first nozzle;
- an air conditioner for regulating a temperature in the test chamber to a set temperature;
- a controller comprising a computer;
- and
- an input device operatively connected to the controller;
- wherein the controller includes a state selector configured to set, based on an input by a user via the input device, a degree of sleet based on a ratio between rain and snow as a state of snow to be caused to fall or configured to set, based on an input by the user via the input device, one out of snow, sleet, and rain as a state of snow to be caused to fall;
- and
- wherein the snow environment test apparatus further comprises a flow rate regulator configured to regulate a ratio between quantity of water to be supplied to the first nozzle and quantity of water to be supplied to the second nozzle for obtaining the state of the snow set in the state selector at the set temperature as a temperature at which a snow environment is obtained.
A snow environment test method for creating a snow environment in a test chamber, the method comprising:
- a user setting a temperature in the test chamber;
- a user setting a degree of sleet based on a ratio between rain and snow as a state of snow to be caused to fall, or setting one out of snow, sleet, and rain as a state of snow to be caused to fall;
- setting a ratio between a quantity of water to be supplied to a first nozzle and a quantity of water to be supplied to a second nozzle to obtain the state of the snow set at the set temperature in the test chamber;
- regulating a temperature in the test chamber to the set temperature by an air conditioner;
- supplying water to the first nozzle and the second nozzle at the set ratio;
- and
- injecting water from the first nozzle and from the second nozzle to create the snow environment, the water from the second nozzle including water particles smaller in size than water particles included in the water from the first nozzle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.