Michigan Snowmaking at BOYNE
And Now, REALLY, the Midwest’s Best Snow is at BOYNE!
BOYNE knows snow and we have been an industry leader in cutting edge snowmaking innovations since the 1950s, including patented technology since the mid 70s. It’s truly in our DNA and our passion for improving the making of snow continues to be among our top priorities. Through increased efforts and heavy investment the past two winters, BOYNE now has the largest, most efficient, snowmaking system in the Midwest. For the skier and snowboarder, that means even more reliable conditions day-after-day, all season long. And now where we make snow with the NEW proprietary Boyne Low-E fan guns, gone are the days of machine-made ice balls and those pesky sheets of yellow ice looming under the expertly groomed surface – our snow is drier and fluffier than ever before. Come ski and ride the difference this breakthrough in technology has created at BOYNE.
Why all the buzz about the new Boyne Low-E fan guns?
Snowmaking essentially consists of pulling water from a reservoir or water source, pumping it onto the mountain and combining it with compressed air to convert as much water into frozen snow crystals as possible. The frozen particles settle to the ground and any water droplets that do not freeze, drain through the surface.
So what makes BOYNE snowmaking unique? The difference is in design modifications made to the newest snowmaking guns in our fleet – hence the unveiling of the Boyne Low-E fan gun. The Boyne Low-E gun is more efficient than ever at converting water into snow crystals – especially at marginal temperatures (above 25 degrees). This greatly improves snow quality and lessens icy build-up while boosting energy and water efficiencies more than any previous technology. Over 250 of these new guns are making snow this winter at BOYNE, representing a significant percentage of the terrain coverage.
The core of the Boyne Low-E fan gun includes a new seeder and manifold design that when combined with the augmented barrel shape, leads to improved mixing of the seed with water from the spray nozzles. Thus, we can create a lighter, low moisture snow that dramatically enhances surface conditions. The magical transformation of water to snow requires all processes to work in conjunction.
With the Boyne Low-E fan gun, compressed air is injected with a very small amount of water in an inner ring at the center of the gun. This compressed air/water mixture then freezes as it’s propelled by the fan and nucleates with water from the outside nozzles creating crystals. The extended and tapered nose cone adds about 18 inches to the overall length and improves expansion cooling as the air leaves the gun. The greater the expansion cooling, the more water freezes. The unique shape and additional length raises velocity and distributes snow further allowing more hang time for powdery snow. However, the true secret weapon in this snowgun is the exclusive Boyne designed water bath technology that is capable of yielding higher production output while achieving lower energy consumption. The combination of each of these modifications has created a one-of-a-kind fan gun only found at Boyne’s North American resorts.
The composition of the proprietary Boyne Low-E fan gun is courtesy of BOYNE’s snowmaking masterminds and our long-time friends from the world’s leading snowgun manufacturer, SMI of Midland, Michigan. Each new Low-E fan gun is built on resort grounds and previous models are reclaimed and converted with the necessary upgrades.
