technoalpin snow guarantee · 2008: 127 million, 2007: 115 million 2006: 55 million.12) •...
TRANSCRIPT
M A G A Z I N E
T E C H N O A L P I N S N O W G U A R A N T E E
Technical snow-makingThe fundamentals of successful winter tourism
2 BACKSTAGEMAGAZINE
Snow
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... LOOK FOR WINTER HOLIDAYS WITH SNOWOver 70% of Austrian winter holiday makers
travel to their home mountains to ski. The
main thing they are looking for on their win-
ter holiday is snow and sun. Products that do
... CHOOSE WINTER HOLIDAY RESORTS AC-CORDING TO THEIR SNOW RELIABILITYSnow reliability is the number one criterion in
choosing a winter sports destination. Safety
on the slopes – another snow-based criterion
... COME BACK AGAIN IF THEY ARE CON-VINCED BY THE WIDE VARIETY OF GOOD QUALITY SLOPESThis has been repeatedly confi rmed in customer
surveys. Optimum snow and slope conditions
... EXPECT SLOPES TO REMAIN IN OPTIMUM CONDITION FOR SKIING FROM MORNING UNTIL NIGHTSince 1989 the transport capacity (conveyor ca-
pacity of persons/hour x the difference in altitude
in m) of equipment in the Alps has been increas-
not depend on snow such as
swimming pools or saunas
offer little compensation
and are merely an enhance-
ment.
– comes second.1) 2) Com-
fortable ski-lift systems
only come third in order of
importance.
rank among the basic re-
quirements of a success-
ful ski resort. Snow-making
technology is indispensable
in safeguarding the ski resort.
ing. Between 2004 and 2006
it increased in the Tyrol alone
from 422,122 to 457,402 per-
sons.3) A 100% natural snow
slope can no longer contend
with such demand.
1) Mountain Quality Check Winter 2005 and 2006, Mountain Management Consulting, www.mountain-management.com
2) Major online winter sports questionnaire carried out in Winter 2006/2007 in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Mountain Manager 06/2007.
3) “Ropeways, lifts in the Ty-rol” 01.12.2006, published by the Tyrol State Government Division for Sport.
WINTER SPORTS ENTHUSIASTS...
WINTER SPORTS ENTHUSIASTS SEEKGUARANTEED SNOW AND AVARIETY OF GOOD QUALITY SLOPES
BACKSTAGEMAGAZINE 3
LARGE-SCALE SNOW-MAKING TECHNOLOGY...
see in one and a half weeks.
Without snow-making tech-
nology good skiing would be
impossible in the afternoon.
... MAKES THE SKI SEASON EASIER TO SCHEDULE FOR WINTER HOLIDAY MAKERS AND SKI RESORTSAll companies in the value
chain can focus on these
dates and therefore achieve
a relatively balanced work-
load guaranteeing excellent
added value.
... CONSIDERABLY INCREASES THE ACTUAL AND PERCEIVED SAFETYFalls due to ruptures in the slope, areas which
are frozen-over or snow-free, and marked dif-
ferences in snow quality can all be avoided
thanks to snow-making technology.
... ENABLES POSITIVE SKI EXPERIENCES FOR BEGINNER AND INTERMEDIATE SKIERS WITHIN A SHORT TIME FRAMEEnthusiastic children are a crucial factor in
promoting skiing as a mass market sport.
Only through positive experiences can they
fi nd lasting enjoyment in skiing. An early sense
of achievement, minimum risk of injury and
looking good on the slopes also represent the
main criteria for going skiing among the previ-
ously underestimated groups of young people
and adult intermediates (approx. 12.9 million
potential (returning) intermediates from the
Austrian, German and Dutch core markets4)).
Well prepared slopes with a good grip and no
... ENABLES OPTIMUM SLOPE QUALITY FROM AS EARLY AS THE END OF THE AUTUMN
... ENABLES COMPACT SLOPES WITH CONSIST-ENTLY GOOD GRIP FROM MOUNTAIN TO VALLEY AND FROM MORNING TO NIGHTThe increase in ropeway
transport capacity – and
hence the number of skiers
- means that the slope sees
in one day what it used to
GUARANTEED SNOW HASBECOME THE MOSTIMPORTANT MARKETINGTOOL FOR SKI RESORTS
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SNOW-MAKING SYSTEMS RANK AMONG THE FUNDAMENTAL EQUIPMENT OF SUCCESSFUL AND HEALTHY WINTER SPORTS DESTINATIONS.
ice from mountain to valley
are the basic requirements.
... FORMS THE BASIS FOR ADDED-VALUE TOURISMNo other sector in the Tyrol
caters for the prosperity of
the country and its people
on such a small surface
area. The Tyrol ropeway
economy targets an an-
nual added value of approx.
550 million Euro.5) In rela-
tion to the income from the
mountain station sector
(primary sector), this has a
multiplier effect of 6, i.e. €
1,000 – wages, salaries and
ropeway profi t in mountain
stations lead, through their
use, to a total income of €
6,000 – in the region. 502.2
million Euro of value-added tax are collected
annually by the state.6) Despite attempts of
ropeway companies to create a second source
of income in the summer, 93% of the sector’s
turnover is obtained in the winter. Around
14,300 people, mainly from structurally less-
developed regions, are employed on Austria’s
ropeways.7)
... ENABLES UNCOMPLICATED ENJOYMENT OF SKIING IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF VILLAGES WITHOUT HAVING TO TRAVEL LONG DISTANCESSingle village lifts, small family ski resorts which
remain open, thanks to snow-making techno-
logy, ensure regular practice and training pos-
sibilities without having to travel long distances.
4) Professional Association of Austrian Ropeway Operators, www.seilbahnen.at/winter/wiedereinsteiger, November 2009
5) Tyrol Chamber of Commerce 2007 economic report
6) dwif Munich (German Economic Institute for Tourism Research), 2005 ropeway added value study,T-MONA 06 Tourism Monitor Austria advert: Professional Association of Austrian Ropeway Operators, www.seilbahnen.at/heute/wertschoepfung
7) Professional Association of Austrian Ropeway Operators, www.seilbahnen.at/seilbahnen/heute/wirtschaftsfaktor
BACKSTAGEMAGAZINE 5
Facts and figuresSnow-making technology
• The Tyrol has over 2,500 km of ski slopes with a slope
surface area of around 7,300 hectares. This corresponds
to roughly 0.6% of the entire Tyrol surface area (according
to the Tyrol State Government Regional Planning Divi-
sion).8)
• 5,300 hectares, i.e. 73% of the Tyrol’s slope surface area,
are supplied with snow from snow-making equipment.9)
• In comparison:10)
see illustration on opposite page
• Austria’s 254 ropeway operators invested 562 million Euros in the 2010 business year. Of this amount,
287 million Euros were invested in ropeway facilities,
122 million Euros in slope construction, access systems,
car parks, access roads, catering, slope equipment,
sledge tracks, etc., and 153 million Euros in snow-
making technology11). In comparison: 2009: 163 million,
2008: 127 million, 2007: 115 million 2006: 55 million.12)
• Snow-making technology amounts to 17%-20% of rope-way companies’ overall costs.13)
• Each year in Switzerland more than 80 million Swiss
francs are invested in technical snow-making. This has
resulted in a signifi cant increase in the number of slopes
serviced by snow guns. In 1999/2000 only 5% of slopes
were snowed using snow guns. By 2009/2010 this per-
centage had increased to 36%.14)
Facts and fi gures8) Tyrol Chamber of Com-merce 2007 economic report, p. 1 f.
9) Tyrol Chamber of Com-merce 2007 economic report, p. 3.
10) Professional Association of Austrian Ropeway Operators, www.seilbahnen.at/presse/aktuell/factsheet-winter
11) Professional Association of Austrian Ropeway Operators, www.seilbahnen.at/presse/aktuell/factsheet-winter
12) Tyrol Chamber of Com-merce 2007 economic report, p. 13.
13) Tyrol Chamber of Com-merce 2007 economic report, p. 28.
14) Facts and fi gures on the Swiss cable-car industry issued by Seilbahnen Schweiz
6 BACKSTAGEMAGAZINE
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All of Austria25,400 hectares of slope
surface area, 66% covered
with technical snowTyrol7,300 hectares of slope
surface area, 73% covered
with technical snow
Dolomiti Superski1,200 km of slopes, 95%
covered with technical snow
All of France25,000 hectares of slope
surface area, 19% covered
with technical snow
Bavaria3,700 hectares of slope
surface area, 13% covered
with technical snow
Canton of Graubünden 20% technical snow-
covered slopes
All of Switzerland80 km2 of slope surface
area, 36% covered
with technical snowAll of South Tyrol Over 80% technical snow-
covered slope surface area
BACKSTAGEMAGAZINE 7
BOTH NATURAL AND TECHNICAL SNOWCONSIST EXCLUSIVELYOF THE ELEMENTS WATER AND AIR
ence is that technical snow is produced by a
machine. It is therefore incorrect to talk of
“artifi cial snow”. Artifi cial snow is in fact plas-
tic or polystyrene snow made for the theater
or fi lms. The correct term for snow made
from snow-making equipment is “technical snow”.Technical snow is produced by replicating the
natural snow formation. Regardless of the
type of snow gun (fan guns or lances), water
is atomized into tiny droplets using nozzles.
The fi nely atomized mist strikes the fi nely at-
omized water/compressed air mixture which
leaves the nucleation nozzles and contains the
“nuclides” (= snow cores). The fan gun turbine
projects the nuclides and fi ne mist into the
ambient air. As the water/air mixture falls, it
freezes into snowfl akes.
Water & air, nothing else!Formation of natural snowBoth natural and technical snow consist exclusively of the
elements water and air. Snow develops from fi nely con-
densed droplets of water which form in the clouds through
the cooling and oversaturation of atmospheric air. At very
low temperatures, small ice crystals are formed and are
drawn to the ground by gravity. As they fall through different
layers of air over the course of several minutes, ice crystals
grow along their axes, forming typical snow crystals.
The snow crystals mass together to form snow fl akes. De-
pending on the water content and shape of the snow fl akes,
different types of natural snow are formed ranging from
powder and corn snow to wet spring snow.
Basic principles behind snow-making technologyIn the same way as natural snow, technical snow consists
exclusively of the elements water and air. The only differ-
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Climatic requirements for technical snow-makingSeveral parameters must be observed to make
snow. The term “snow temperature” is used to
refer to the “wet bulb temperature”. The wet
bulb temperature results from the dry bulb
temperature (= the temperature that can be
read on a standard thermometer) and the rela-
tive atmospheric humid-
ity expressed as a percent-
age. Due to the wind chill,
the wet bulb temperature
is always lower than the air
temperature. The dryer the
ambient air, the greater the
difference in temperature.
At 100% atmospheric hu-
midity no more water can
evaporate and the wet bulb
temperature equates to the
dry bulb temperature. A low
dry bulb temperature and
low atmospheric humidity
provide the optimum con-
ditions for making snow.
The higher the atmospheric
humidity, the more unfa-
vorable the conditions for
making snow, as the ambi-
ent air is already humid and
can only absorb a small ad-
ditional amount of humid-
ity or no more humidity. On
snow guns, the wet bulb
temperature is measured
by the weather station. At
the start of the snow sea-
son, marginal tempera-tures very frequently prevail
and this represents a major
challenge for snow making
and snow quality. Ever since
it was founded, TechnoAlpin
has always been concerned
with making snow under
these extreme conditions.
If the wet bulb temperature
drops, more snow can be
produced faster. Also the water temperature plays
an essential role in effi cient
snow making and producing
good quality snow, and ide-
ally is slightly above freez-
ing point. If the water is too
warm, cooling towers are
used to reduce the water to
the right temperature.
Temperature in °C
Wet bulb temperature
Atm
osp
he
ric h
um
idit
y in
% -7° -6° -5° -4° -3° -2° -1° 0° +1° +2° +3°90% -7.3 -6.3 -5.4 -4.5 -3.6 -2.5 -1.5 -0.6 0.5 1.5 2,4
80% -7.7 -6.8 -5.8 -4.9 -4.0 -3.1 -2.1 -1.1 -0.1 0.9 1.8
70% -8.1 -7.2 -6.3 -5.5 -4.6 -3.7 -2.6 -1.7 -0.7 0.1 1.1
60% -8.5 -7.6 -6.7 -5.9 -5.0 -4.1 -3.2 -2.3 -1.5 -0.7 0.3
50% -9.0 -8.1 -7.2 -6.4 -5.6 -4.7 -3.8 -3.0 -2.2 -1.3 -0.5
40% -9.4 -8.5 -7.7 -6.9 -6.1 -5.2 -4.4 -3.7 -2.9 -2.1 -1.3
30% -9.8 -9.0 -8.1 -7.4 -6.7 -5.8 -5.0 -4.3 -3.5 -2.8 -2.0
20% -10.2 -9.4 -8.7 -7.9 -7.2 -6.5 -5.7 -5.0 -4.3 -3.5 -2.9
10% -10.6 -9.9 -9.2 -8.5 -7.8 -7.1 -6.3 -5.6 -5.0 -4.3 -3.5
BACKSTAGEMAGAZINE 9
Focus on snow gunsSnow guns are just one component of snow-making equipment - albeitthe most visible. Many components and elements must interact with each other in order to supply the snow gun with the correct quantities of water, compressed air and electricity, at the correct pressure, in the right placeand at the right time.
We distinguish between two different types of snow guns: Fan guns and snow lances. The snow generation principle is the same for both types of device, the difference lies in the amount of snow produced,
the cost and the application range. Selecting the most suit-
able type of snow gun depends on the hillside orientation,
temperature, slope width, amount of snow required, gradi-
ent of the terrain, wind situation and air circulation. The
mountain’s individual characteristics must be taken into
account. Both fan guns and
snow lances are available
as manually adjustable or fully automated models.
Both types can produce a range of different snow qualities (from completely
dry to wet).
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EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW…
How many hours on average is a snow gun in use each season?This depends on the slope surface on which
the snow is to be delivered and on the number
of snow guns available. On average, it can be
expected that each snow gun will be operated
for 800 hours per season.
Is there a guideline for the number of snow guns per hectare?Over recent years, 100 hours has become the
recommended amount, i.e. under good weath-
er conditions, it should take 100 hours to cover
the slope surface with a 40 cm-thick layer of
technical snow. This corresponds to 2 fan guns
per hectare.
How long does it take to assemble a fan gun?All TechnoAlpin snow guns are assembled at
the company’s head quar-
ters in Bolzano (South Ty-
rol, Italy). Over the past 20
years, 20,000 snow guns
have been sold to over 950
customers in more than 40
countries across the world.
40 fan guns are produced in
a 40-hours week.
What kind of lifespan can be expected of a fan gun?In many ski areas different
generations of snow guns are
working together. The latest
T40 model works alongside
the M90, which in the mean-
time is 20 years old. The re-
investment in snow guns is
more a question of technol-
ogy and effi ciency than a lack
of functional effi ciency.
How much does a fan gun cost?A T60-type fully automated
fan gun costs the same as
a mid-range station-wagon.
How much does one cubic me-ter of snow cost?The costs of one cubic me-
ter of snow depend on the
individual conditions of the
area to be covered: water
supply, pump output, reser-
voir, snow conditions, sys-
tem amortisation, etc. The
documentation talks of 3.5
to 5 Euro/m3.
BACKSTAGEMAGAZINE 11
Fan gunsAdvanced technology from the aircraft industry
Fan guns have a longer history than snow
lances. For many years, only mobile fan guns were used. As snow making technol-
ogy developed, stationary installations
were implemented to avoid set-up times.
Fan guns are characterized by a long pro-
jection, high snow output, low wind sen-
sitivity and flexible use.
Therefore they are mainly
used on wide slopes, in
areas with a high demand
for snow, steep terrain
or open areas exposed to
wind.
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Measures the temperature and
relative atmospheric humidity
Mixes nucleation agents
and water droplets and
projects snow to distances
of up to 60 meters
Valve block with integrated water fi lter:
adjusts the water supply according to
atmospheric conditions
Provides compressed air for the nucleator
system in an environmentally-friendly way
Positions the turbine vertically
and horizontally to ensure the
most wide-ranging snow distri-
bution possible
Menu-driven control panel:
enables simple and fast operation
of the snow gun and viewing of the
operating status
Atomize water and form nucleation
agents from air and water. A heating
system prevents the nozzle from freezing
over in extremely cold temperaturesWeather station
High-Tech-Fan
Compact valve technology
Oil-free compressor
Swing devices
Control unit
Nucleators and nozzles
Central water supply connector
mounted on a 360° swing coupling
Water supply connector
Enables the snow gun to be safely
transported using any groomer
3-point transport system
BACKSTAGEMAGAZINE 13
The lance can be supplied as a auto-
matic version for network confi gura-
tion or with its own stand alone user
friendly LCD control unit
Control unit
Creates compressed air for the nucleator
system in an environmentally-friendly way
Oil-free compressor
Measures the temperature and
relative atmospheric humidity
Weather station
Houses the water and compressed
air supply and enables the snow
grain to be frozen along the length
of the boom
Boom
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Lance head madeof die-cast aluminumA special, tried and tested system
in the lance head keeps the lance
ice-free even in extremely cold
temperatures and cross-winds
Nucleators and water nozzlesatomize water and form the nucleation agent
out of air and water
Snow lancePerformance is all in the head
Snow is generated on snow lances in the same
way as on fan guns but at a greater height
(by means of booms). Current booms meas-
ure up to 9 meters in length. The drop height
is required to crystallize the snow fl ake, but
in comparison to the fan gun, there is no fan.
This means that projection distances are much
shorter and wind sensitivity is
greater. The quantity of snow
produced by a lance is similar to
that of a small fan gun. Lances
are generally used as complete
systems, equipped with a cen-
tral pneumatic system.
BACKSTAGEMAGAZINE 15
1
3
2
4
From the occasional use of snow guns to fully automated snow-making technologyWhereas in the eighties, snow guns were only
used occasionally to improve snow-free areas,
today it only makes sense to perform large-scale
snow-making operations to cover entire slopes
with snow. The change from manual to fully au-
tomated technology also took place around the
same time – particularly in Europe. Only fully
automated systems make it possible to easily and effi ciently
exploit the increasingly shorter temperature intervals to
generate snow or rather they make it possible to react to rele-
vant parameter changes within the shortest time frames.
Operating conditions and resource consumption can be pre-
cisely monitored and assessed, set-up times cease to exist, op-
erating costs can be optimized and consistent snow quality can
be guaranteed across the entire resort. These days, virtually
all Alpine ski resorts use fully automated systems.
Snow-making systems The required amount and quality of snow in the right place at the right time - produced effi ciently and in a resource-saving way
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5
Snow-making system com-ponentsSnow-making systems are
complex technological de-
vices which incorporate a
variety of components.
Out on the slopes it is most-
ly just snow guns and fi lling
stations that are visible, yet
these devices only make up
a small proportion of the en-
tire system. Apart from the
fact that each snow-making
system is tailor-made for
each mountain, the follow-
ing simplifi ed key questions
must be answered when de-
signing systems:
When set up on the mountain, how will the
snow gun be supplied with the necessary
amount of water at the right pressure?
When set up on the mountain, how will the
snow gun be supplied with the necessary
electricity?
When set up on the mountain, how will the
snow gun be supplied with the necessary
compressed air?
How will the device be controlled so that
snow targets (quality and amount of snow,
time taken to cover a set distance with snow,
etc.) can be achieved effi ciently and in a re-
source-saving way in the event of changing
parameters such as temperature, atmos-
pheric humidity, wind direction, wind force,
water temperature, water consumption and
operating conditions?
As individual as the ski slopeThe snow-making system
is just as unique as the ski-
resort in which it is used.
The system must perfectly
match the area’s natural
environment.
Planning the system re-
quires the appropriate ex-
pertise. TechnoAlpin has its
in-house planning depart-
ment where all the systems
used throughout the world
are designed. Design takes
place in close collabora-
tion with the customer and
takes into account future
expansion stages. A master
plan is drawn up, taking all
conceivable, future expan-
sion stages into account.
Geographic data, enabling
maximum precision, forms
the basis for the planning.
1 Centralized compres-
sor station for supplying
compressed air
2 Fully automated com-
puter monitoring of the
system
3 Control center
4 Pump station
5 The masterplan
The answer to these questions is found in the diverse technical system
components which are implemented according to requirements:
WATER CATCHMENTS, RESERVOIRS, PUMP STATIONS, COMPRES-SORS or centralized compressor stations, air and water PIPES, POWER CABLES, POWER SUPPLY FACILITIES, FIBER OPTIC CABLES for data
transfer, COOLING TOWERS to cool the snow water, PITS, VALVES to
adjust the amount of water and air, CONTROL SOFTWARE for fully auto-
mated control of the system.
BACKSTAGEMAGAZINE 17
THE JOINT AIM OF SNOW-MAKING TECH-NOLOGY AND SKI SLOPE PREPARATION IS TO PROVIDE PERFECT SLOPES, OFFERING GOOD GRIP FROM MOUNTAIN TO VALLEY
Snow-making technology and slope prepara-tion: a symbiosisThe aim of snow-making technology and slope
preparation is to provide perfect ski slopes, of-
fering good grip from mountain to valley. The
quality of snow determines how many hours
of slope preparation are required. Even with
extensive use of the tiller, fi ne-grained slopes
offering a good grip cannot be conjured up
out of wet snow. Snow must be mechanically
dispensed, mixed and thick-
ened at the right point in
time to maintain a homog-
enous and compact slope.
Slope preparation is taken
into account early on dur-
ing the snow-making equip-
ment planning stage. This
means that expensive snow
ploughing operations using
snow grooming machines
can be avoided. Automa-
ted systems for measuring
snow depth have been de-
veloped so that precious
snow can be supplied to
the areas where it is really
needed. This is known as
snow management.
A symbiotic relationship
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An increasing number of
manufacturers use this
technology for wireless con-
nection of electronic note-
books and mobile phone
accessories, for example.
TechnoAlpin has now ap-
plied the Bluetooth applica-
tion range to snow-making
technology. Many lift com-
panies have adopted this
technology rendering the
everyday tasks of the snow teams far easier, as
drivers can control snow guns remotely from
their cabs when on the move. All the snow
gun’s functions can be read and controlled
using the remote control.
Operation is easy and iden-
tical to that of a customary
keyboard.
Controlling snow guns when on the move
ALL THE SNOW GUN’S FUNCTIONSCAN BE READ AND CONTROLLEDWITHOUT FAIL USING THE REMOTE CONTROLS
Bluetooth technology
BACKSTAGEMAGAZINE 19
1903 Osborne Reynolds (1842-1912) de-
veloped a device to artifi cially produce hail-
stones.
1937The fi rst attempt to replicate natural
snow took place in New York for a skishow on
crushed ice from a brewery.
Around 1940 When investigat-
ing the effect of rime on jet engines, research-
ers happened upon the discovery of the basic
principle behind snow-making as they sprayed
water into a wind tunnel at a low temperature.
1950 The fi rst compressed air snow gun
was manufactured in America by Art Hunt,
Dave Richey and Wayne Pierce from the Tey
Manufacturing company.
1952 Engineer Joe Tropeano sponsored
the Tey Manufacturing patent and Larchmont
produced the fi rst series of high-pressure
snow guns.
1958 Alden Hanson developed the fi rst fan gun and
patented it in 1961.
1959/1960 Installation of Europe‘s fi rst snow-
making system in St. Andreasberg/Harz (Germany) with
Larchmont snow guns.
1964 Fritz Jakob from Austria, inventor and founder
of the company Linde, registered his snowmaking patent.
For a long time, Linde (Austria) was Europe’s sole snow gun
manufacturer.
1964 Innsbruck Winter Olympics: snow guns were
used to prepare the bobsleigh and toboggan runs.
1964/65 John Caviezel from St. Moritz built the
fi rst snow-making systems in Switzerland and Sweden.
1969 Hedco from the USA began the mass production
of fan guns.
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1978/79 Austrian lift companies ac-
quired the fi rst fan guns from the company
Hedco.
1980 The American company York devel-
oped the fi rst fully automated snow-making
systems.
1980-85 Snow-making was promot-
ed in the Alps and Scandinavia after several
snowless winters. Snow guns were still mainly
used to improve the natural covering of snow.
1983 Walter Rieder and Georg Eisath, at
the time still technical managers of Obereggen
AG (South Tyrol - Italy), developed the fi rst fan
guns.
1990 TechnoAlpin AG was founded. The
market divided itself between fan gun and
snow lance manufacturers.
From 2000 Ski
resorts began to steadily in-
crease their investments in
technical facilities. However
investments were continu-
ously shifted from lift systems
to snow-making technology.
2004 Snow reliabil-
ity and slope quality are the
primary success factors for
a ski resort. TechnoAlpin is
the world market leader in
snow-making technology. 20
other companies operate on
the market.
2010 Effi ciency and re-
source management are the
main issues of snow-making
technology. Snow reliability
proves to be the true life in-
surance for ski resorts.
A historical retrospectiveFrom crushed ice to fi ne powder snow
Canada around 1940: When investigating the effect of rime on jet engines,researchers happened upon the discovery of the basic principle behind snow-makingas they sprayed water into a wind tunnel at a low temperature.
TechnoAlpin fan gun in 1990
BACKSTAGEMAGAZINE 21
Environment & climate changeSnow-making
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TECHNICAL SNOWCONSISTS EXCLUSIVELYOF WATER AND AIR
Is water modifi ed when making technical snow?Not at all. It‘s the same as natural snow, wa-
ter is simply transformed into another physical
state. The quality of the water used is para-
mount. In the Tyrol, water must be of drinking
water quality.
What effect does technical snow have on vegeta-tion?Technical snow does not have a negative ef-
fect on vegetation. Research carried out by the
Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche
Research in Davos has shown that the „techni-
cal snow“ factor has less effect on vegetation
than the „ski slope“ factor in general.14)
On the contrary, technical snow protects sen-
sitive turf from the wear and tear of snow
groomers and the sharp edges of skis. A suf-
fi cient covering of snow insulates the ground,
preventing ground frost in the autumn and
spring. The ground is permeated by the melt-
ing snow in the spring.
How far does global warming affect technical snow?Scientists from Innsbruck University‘s Insti-
tute for Meteorology and Geophysics and from
the Tyrol and Vorarlberg regional branch of
ZAMG (Central Institute for Meteorology and
Geodynamics) have carried out research into
the conditions for snow production and their
changes over recent years. Results of the
studies: natural climate changes and winters with and without snow have existed since time immemorial.
It is not just high altitudes,
air temperature, atmos-
pheric humidity and water
temperature that are con-
ducive to making snow.
Small-scale climatic condi-
tions such as the orientation
of the area, wind infl uences
and temperature inversions
must also be taken into ac-
count. For example, due
to the narrow valley in the
Schladming area, snow-
making conditions are often
better in lower areas than in
areas above 1,000 meters.15)
Do you want to use snow-mak-ing technology to extend the winter season into the spring?No. Snow-making technol-
ogy serves principally to
ensure snow in the autumn.
Most snow days occur in the
autumn and early winter. In
most cases, the snow-mak-
ing season winds up at the
end of January. In any case,
interest in winter sports
dramatically diminishes
from mid-March. Covering
the glaciers with snow has
gained considerable impor-
tance as it enables the ski
season to begin earlier on
the glaciers and slows down
deglaciation.
14) Artifi cial snow in the Alps, alpMedia background report, December 2004, p. 12, www.alpmedia.net
15) Prof. Dr. Ulrike Pröbstl, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, 2007
BACKSTAGEMAGAZINE 23
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