Apparatus for the measurement of snow quality
US4977523A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 6, 1989 |
| Grant date | Dec 11, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 6, 2009 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N5/00
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
There are disclosed a method and an apparatus for the measurement of the ice content of snow. Ice content is directly related to the quality of the snow. The method comprises the steps of measuring the weight of ice in the sample by: PA0 (1) placing a sample of the snow to be measured in a sample chamber; PA0 (2) heating said sample chamber and measuring the heat supplied while measuring its temperature; and PA0 (3) calculating the weight of the ice in the sample from the measurements in step (2), and then dividing the weight of the ice in the sample by the total weight of the sample to obtain a value for the snow quality. There is also provided an apparatus for carrying out the described method. The apparatus includes an insulated sample chamber including provision for heating and temperature sensing. The sample chamber is detachably connected to a microprocessor based instrument which controls the heating of the chamber and calculates the ice content from the heat supplied and temperature measurements.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.