Snow Maker

Objective:

A couple of years ago, my brother and I were inspired to create a backyard terrain ski park. We formed several rails out of wood and PVC pipes and built a starting ramp to enable us to gather speed. The only thing we could not control, however, was the weather. Even though it was cold, it did not snow a lot last year and when it did snow, we quickly wore out the snow. We wanted to figure out a way to blow snow to fill in the patches.

Brainstorming process:

We researched several types of snowmakers and concluded that there were two possible design options:

• Option 1: internal mix snowmaker - compressed air and water mix inside the plumbing of the snowmaker

• Option 2: external mix snowmaker - air and water mix outside the plumbing

Option 1 is easier to make but is less efficient. Additionally, with option 1, there is a risk of permanently damaging the air compressor if the water goes into the compressed air hose. We chose Option 2 (external mix snowmaker). We ordered special nucleation, misting, and air nozzles built for this purpose and then went to Home Depot to buy the plumbing, aluminum strapping, and a PVC pipe.

Assembly:

First, we attached all of the plumbing together with teflon tape to ensure there were no leaks. Then, we drilled holes in the PVC pipe so that we could attach the nozzles to the pipes through the pipe and the strapping. Finally, we tightened all of the nozzles and attached the air compressor and the pressure washer.

Results:

Success! The snowmaker worked and we were able to blow snow so that we could fill the gaps and keep skiing in our backyard!