|
|
This information about snowmaking is courtesy of the American Skiing Company.
Labor and energy costs are the most expensive components of snowmaking, and computers help resorts keep both costs to a minimum. The American Skiing Company is a pioneer in the use of computer control for snowmaking. Its system helps control energy costs, allows all of each resort's far-flung pumps and compressors to be controlled from one location, and helps ensure snow quality by determining optimal gun settings relative to weather conditions. Energy costs are controlled in several ways. First, the operator can track the amount of energy being used, ensuring that the resort's electrical demand doesn't exceed limits set by the power company. Secondly, readouts give control room operators a running tally on what apparatus is running and the system status. With the click of a mouse, the operator can tell exactly how much water is going to the hill (and what its pressure is). He or she can also determine how much compressed air is available. Since the crews keep the control room apprised of their whereabouts by radio, the operator also knows what the demands on air and water are likely to be in the near future. Armed with this knowledge, the operator can start or stop compressors and pumps - also with the click of a mouse. This enables the operator to bring additional equipment on line at the moment it is needed - rather than wasting power by having excess capacity in the system. Using computers to control snow quality One of the biggest challenges to producing consistent, high-quality snow lies in controlling exactly how much water goes into each cubic foot of snow - a critical factor in its weight and skiability. Typically, ski areas rely on the "coat sleeve test -" in which a snowmaker walks out into the plume of snow and examines whether the crystals stick to his jacket (wet) or bounce off (dry). Obviously, the subjective nature of this rather crude method affords tremendous variation in snow quality. Instead, American Skiing Company's systems take current weather and system information fed from remote weather stations around the mountain and, using a computer to create the calculations, determine the optimal settings at each gun. In this manner, snowmakers can make very consistent snow with optimal energy efficiency. The American Skiing Company sees its snowmaking computers very simply: they are management tools, not a way to cut corners. Snowmaking is still tough, demanding, hands-on work - but the computers eliminate most of the guesswork, and make it easier to provide consistency and quality.
So Just What is Great Machine Made Snow? Environmental Aspects of Snowmaking
|
