Method and apparatus for producing snow at marginal ambient temperatures and eliminating compressed air line freeze-up and oil contamination

In an installation for snow-making wherein a stream of compressed air and a stream of compressed water are fed from a compressor station and a pumping station via separate lines to the nozzles of snow-making equipment where said compressed air and pressurized water are mixed to produce a stream of snow particles, a method for removing condensate and oil particles from said stream of compressed air and supercooling said stream of air comprising:

• providing a stream of compressed air having oil particles and a condensate;
• separating out said oil particles and condensate from said stream of compressed air;
• feeding said stream of compressed air free of said oil particles and condensate to a cryogenic unit;
• and
• passing a liquefied gas through said cryogenic unit in heat exchange relationship with said compressed air so as to supercool said stream of compressed air.

In an installation for making snow wherein a stream of compressed air and a stream of pressurized water are fed from a compressor station and a pumping station via separate lines to the nozzles of snow-making equipment where said compressed air and pressurized water are mixed to produce a stream of snow particles comprising:

• conduit means for feeding a stream of compressed air from said compressor station to said snow-making equipment;
• cooling means associated with said conduit and positioned upstream of said snow-making equipment for cooling the stream of compressed air so as to crystallize the condensate and allow the oil particles to adhere thereto;
• means downstream of said cooling means for holding the crystallized condensate and oil particles in a holding zone;
• heating means associated with said holding zone for heating said holding zone so as to liquefy the condensate;
• means for separating said liquefied condensate and oil particles from said compressed air stream in said holding zone;
• a cryogenic unit downstream of said holding zone for receiving said stream of compressed air;
• and
• a source of liquefied gas in fluid communication with said cryogenic unit so as to pass said liquefied gas in heat exchange relationship with said stream of compressed air in said cryogenic unit so as to supercool said stream of compressed air.

In an installation for making snow wherein a stream of compressed air and a stream of pressurized water are fed from a compressor station and a pumping station via separate lines to the nozzles of snow-making equipment where said compressed air and pressurized water are mixed to produce a stream of snow particles comprising:

• conduit means for feeding a stream of compressed air from said compressor station to said snow-making equipment;
• means associated with said conduit and positioned upstream of said snow-making equipment for removing condensate and oil particles from said stream of compressed air;
• a cryogenic unit downstream of said means for removing said condensate and oil particles for receiving said stream of compressed air;
• and
• a source of liquefied gas in fluid communication with said cryogenic unit so as to pass said liquefied gas in heat exchange relationship with said stream of compressed air in said cryogenic unit so as to supercool said stream of compressed air.