Influencing Factors of Artificial Snow Particle Size under Natural Environmental Conditions

In this study, artificial snow is produced under natural conditions using a snowmaking machine, and the microscopic morphology of the snow crystals is obtained. The sizes of snow particles and the factors that influence them under various working conditions are subsequently analyzed, and the formation of artificial snow is deduced. The results show that the falling position, environmental temperature and humidity, and nozzle atomization particle size are important factors affecting snow particle diameter. Lower environmental temperature and humidity, as well as a smaller nozzle diameter, facilitate the formation of larger snow particles. When the snowmaker operates stably, the distribution of snow particle diameter is more non-uniform in distant areas than at the edges and middle regions. The measured snow particle size is approximately 0.3 mm, which is significantly larger than the atomization particle size of the nozzle (0.12 mm). This result indicates that snow particles collide during flight. Overall, this study is important for understanding the mechanisms of snow formation and the regulation of snow quality.