Snow making systems for all weather skiing

By Pierre Brisset, overseas sales manager
for Snowline, Frigofrance sa

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The Mont-Lozère resort in France which pioneers all weather snow making.

THE INCREASE in leisure time has led some industrialists to invest in the field of skiing and similar sports. Unfortunately, traditional techniques for producing artificial snow require a temperature of at least -3°C, which almost precludes any possibility of an outdoor snow cover at altitudes below 1,500m.
At the start of the 1990s the All Weather Snow Gun from Frigofrance sa, a new snowmaking system fitted with a dedicated refrigeration plant appeared. Its production principle opened up new prospects for snow cover as it can produce snow regardless of the outside temperature. At that time, Japanese ski resorts pioneered the technique and setup outdoor ski runs. Today it is used even in Australia.
This initial large scale experiment began at Shimani in Japan at the beginning of 1991. The outdoor slope was 700m long and 30m wide, with a snowmaking capacity of 200 tonnes per day. Once transformed, a volume of about 400 cu m of snow was available.
The first indoor run was at the Casablanca Ski Slope near Antwerp in Belgium which opened in 1992. At that time, one could ski over a distance of 80 m. After various tests, in particular with artificial polymer snow, the owner settled for an All Weather Snow Gun which is still in operation today.		 In Japan, the following year, the SSAWS (Spring Summer Autumn Winter Ski), was set up in Narita-Tokyo and offered skiing 365 days per year on three runs.
In the following years several indoor and outdoor runs were built. Indoor ski domes were first erected in northern Europe and more recently in Germany with Allrounder Winter World in Neuss and Alpicenter in Bottrop set up by the world ski champion Marc Girardelli.
In 1990 Japan had begun to set up outdoor runs. One of those over 1,000m in length is Utopia Saioto near Hiroshima.
It is not easy to produce 'man-made' snow, as obviously the water has to be frozen and turned into crystals. For more than 25 years industrials have been developing systems for blowing water particles into cold air. This is the case for the traditional canon which mountains resorts use. The formation of snow crystals depends on the outside air temperature which must be below zero, and the relative humidity which must not be too high.
The All Weather Snow Gun is a technique which hinges round the production of flake-ice and enables a ski run to be created anywhere and at any time.
Indoor ski slopes started in Northern Europe, initially in Belgium, Holland and the UK. The units require a substantial

ground area and buildings with impressive structures. Generally, 50m high at the start of the run, 300m long and 30m wide, they cannot be set up anywhere.



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A containerised All Weather Snow Gun


Two snow making techniques can be used indoors. Either a nozzle type which sprays minute droplets of water into the refrigerated air of the dome or the all-weather cannon that makes snow from flake ice. The nozzle type calls for a strict and accurate control of the cold ambient air, with regard to temperature, humidity and ventilation. An atmosphere of -5 to 10°C is necessary to produce snow, which is not only unpleasant for the skier but is costly in energy. The high enery costs of its nozzle snow-making system have forced the SSAWS to close its door at the end of the year, after nine years of continuous operation.
This is the reason why several centres have chosen the method of producing snow from flake ice with All Weather Snow Guns. The largest centre in the world, currently under construction
in Shanghai, China will use this principle by installing six
ice generators producing

 200 tonnes per day.
Outdoor, the snow production issue is clear. There must be no below zero temperatures and all weather cannons essential.
Since 1990, Japan has installed about 50 ski runs using this system. It enables certain snow cover, independant of the weather and keep the runs open five months a year. But if this country remains the best equipped in all weather guns, France is also starting to invest in them.
The Mont-LOzère resort in the Massif Central has already set up an All Weather Snow Gun and Val Louron in the Pyrenees is in the process of doing the same.
The All Weather Snow Gun thereofre makes snow production possible whatever the ambient temperature may be, below-and above-zero. The snow production plant comes in the form of a container combining all the refrigeration, electrical and mechanical elements required for its operation.
The production principle consists of replacing the ambient cold with a refrigeration unit to freeze the water. This operation takes place within the portable plant and makes it possible to bypass outside weather conditions.
Making snow depends on three subsequent operations : production of flake ice, ice crushing and pneumatic distribution of snow.

Utopia Saito.JPG (124036 octets)    ACR Today August 2002






Preparing the ski run at the Utopia Saioto resort
in Japan.