Situational Atmospheric Vectoring Equipment

Abstract

The Situational Atmospheric Vectoring Equipment (abbreviated in this document as equipment) provides a system to disperse an aqueous liquid in a solid or gaseous form. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the equipment comprises: a pressure vessel or external source for the aqueous liquid, a mechanical pump if required, a pressure vessel for the cryogen, mechanical lines connecting the aqueous liquid and cryogen allowing for flow control, a nozzle for fluid acceleration and, optionally, a mechanical fan for dispersal. Previous inventions of this category require the proper environmental conditions are present whereas the equipment, as described in this text, does not have this limitation.

Description

The Situational Atmospheric Vectoring Equipment (abbreviated in this document as equipment) provides a system to disperse an aqueous liquid in a solid or in the appearance of a gaseous form. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the equipment comprises:

• • 1) Source of the aqueous liquid (tank, sea water, fresh water, etc.)
  • 2) Mechanical pump to take the aqueous solution from the reservoir through the equipment if required
  • 3) Flow control system (valves and electrical control of the mechanical pump if required) for the aqueous liquid
  • 4) Nozzle to accelerate the flow
  • 5) Storage vessel for the cryogen
    • a. If the cryogen is a solid, the storage vessel can be insulated to limit the environmental effects
    • b. If the cryogen is a gas or liquid phase, the storage vessel can be a pressure vessel to allow for condensed storage
  • 6) Injection system for the cryogen (can be before or after the nozzle as required) inclusive of the flow control system for the cryogen if required
  • 7) Optionally, an adjustable mechanical fan to disperse the flow from the nozzle allowing vectoring of the output

The purpose of the nozzle is to atomize either a portion or the entirety of the flow. The combination of the aqueous liquid with the cryogen results in a phase change of the aqueous liquid into a solid or gas. As the combination of the aqueous liquid with the cryogen can be either before or after the nozzle, component selection for the nozzle is paramount to prevent clogging. The pointing adjustment features of an optional mechanical fan enables the output to be dispersed in a variety of vectors.

The aqueous liquid can vary depending on the application ranging from as simple as fresh water or as complex as desired like a solution that has a higher or lower freezing point. The benefit for a more complicated aqueous solution ranges from adjusting the longevity of the equipment's output or to add a dye agent for identification or entertainment purposes.

The cryogen can be any phase to include liquid, solid or gas. This facilitates the use of various commercially available cryogens such as liquid nitrogen or gaseous helium as well as naturally occurring cryogens such as the air in the upper atmosphere.

The equipment is meant to be scalable and capable of being utilized situationally, such as when atmospheric temperatures make conventional snow production ineffective. Additionally, the equipment's scalability allows it to function in a wide variety of applications including a laboratory environment, a ski resort, or in a larger scale aboard an ocean-going vessel in support of geoengineering.

In the context of geoengineering, one embodiment could be to generate temporary cloud cover above an ocean region. That would change the albedo from a low value associated with the dark ocean water of around 0.03-0.10 to that of one associated with clouds from 0.30-0.50 during sunlight hours. Doing so would reflect more of the energy that would have been absorbed by the ocean. This embodiment can be paired during non-sunlight (nighttime) hours with a methodology of transmitting radio frequencies known to be absorbed by water vapor at existing cloud cover to dissipate them. This would allow additional energy to be released from the ocean to deep space. The overall effect could be a scalable reduction in the global average temperature.

There are a multitude of embodiments for the equipment to include generating test environments from fog, snow, and sleet for consumer electronics to educational purposes in countries that do not routinely receive snow naturally. Recreationally, one embodiment for the equipment is to generate snow for winter sports such as skiing or snowboarding in environments that are not conducive to artificial snow making.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention provides a system to disperse an aqueous liquid in a solid or gaseous form. The invention definition including the features is described in the appended claims.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the past number of years there has been a continuously increasing surge of interest in winter sports activities, particularly those activities which need a snow base for operation, e.g., skiing, snowmobiling, snow-shoeing and the like. Unfortunately, in many areas of the world the natural snow fall is not predictable nor sufficient to assure continuous operation during the season of sports areas and resorts having facilities for such winter sports.

In more recent years continuity of operation and a good snow base has been gained by the use of artificial snow-making machines and apparatus. With such equipment snow-based winter sports activities have been continuously operated during the winter season and extended to geographical areas of the United States; for example, as far south as North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee even though there is usually not sufficient natural snow in these areas to permit such sports on a regular basis during the season.

With artificial snow making equipment, it is essential that there be an ambient temperature below about 32° F. (0° C.) for a sufficient period to permit snow making to continue until an adequate depth of snow is deposited on the area, terrain or slope desired to be covered. Therefore, snow making using conventional techniques are limited by the local environmental conditions.

Many examples illustrate, such as that which is that disclosed by Pierce in U.S. Pat. No. 2,676,471, outlining a machine requiring the low ambient temperature. More recently, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,968,164, a different type snow making apparatus that includes a high-powered fan which provides a substantially unidirectional high volume of air at substantially atmospheric pressure and in combination therewith an independent water spray providing means downstream from the fan. Eustis in U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,991 utilizes the principles of earlier U.S. Pat. No. 2,968,164; i.e., a large fan is employed to move particles away from a spray nozzle, but also provides additionally a system wherein compressed air and water are mixed within a first seeding nozzle. Water is added to the air moved by the fan using a second exterior nozzle. Ericson, et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,610,527 have taught another modification of earlier U.S. Pat. No. 2,968,164 whereby with an 18 or 20 inch fan blade from about 3-140 gallons of water per minute can be converted into snow depending on the temperature of the feed water. Rice, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,838,815, described a blower projecting air and spraying water particles into the air stream. In all of the examples cited, the requirement for the proper environmental conditions are present whereas the equipment, as described in this text, does not have this limitation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES (DRAWINGS)

FIG. 1 is a functional diagram in block diagram form of the equipment showing the various components including optional components. The various blocks are described where:

101 is the source of the aqueous liquid

102 is the optional mechanical pump for the aqueous liquid

103 is the flow control system for the aqueous liquid

104 is the nozzle for the aqueous liquid

105 is the storage vessel for the cryogen

106 is the injection system for the cryogen mixing with the aqueous liquid

107 is the optional adjustable mechanical fan

FIG. 2 is a functional diagram in block diagram form of the equipment showing the various components including optional components. The various blocks are described where:

101 is the source of the aqueous liquid

102 is the optional mechanical pump for the aqueous liquid

103 is the flow control system for the aqueous liquid

105 is the storage vessel for the cryogen

106 is the injection system for the cryogen mixing with the aqueous liquid

104 is the nozzle for the mixture between the aqueous liquid and cryogen

107 is the optional adjustable mechanical fan

Claims

1) A system to take an aqueous liquid and combine it with a cryogen to generate a solid or gaseous form comprising of:

a. a source of the aqueous liquid (tank, fresh water, sea water, etc.);

b. a mechanical pump to take the aqueous solution from the source through the equipment if required;

c. a flow control system (valves and electrical control of the mechanical pump if required) for the aqueous liquid;

d. a nozzle to accelerate the flow reducing the pressure of the aqueous liquid;

e. a storage vessel for the cryogen; i. wherein if the cryogen is a solid, the storage vessel can be insulated to limit the environmental effects; ii. wherein if the cryogen is a gas or liquid phase, the storage vessel can be a pressure vessel to allow for condensed storage;

f. an injection system for the cryogen that can be before or after the nozzle as required and includes the flow control system for the cryogen if required; and

g. an optionally adjustable mechanical fan to disperse the flow from the nozzle allowing vectoring of the output.

2) The aqueous liquid from claim 1 can be as simple as water or as complex as desired like a solution that has a higher or lower freezing point to adjust the longevity of the output coupled with a dye agent for easier identification.

3) The cryogen from claim 1 can be of any phase including liquid, solid or gaseous.