VW content and Hail Cannons
#1
VW content and Hail Cannons
So I'm browsing the news...I know, be careful. This article claims that Volkswagon can alter the weather around their factories storage lot to reduce the chance of hail damage.
https://money.cnn.com/2018/08/23/new...ght/index.html
I've heard of cloud seeding to promote rain, but I didn't know you could reduce the chance of hail by cannon fire.
I'm going to go yell at some clouds and crawl back under my rock.
https://money.cnn.com/2018/08/23/new...ght/index.html
I've heard of cloud seeding to promote rain, but I didn't know you could reduce the chance of hail by cannon fire.
I'm going to go yell at some clouds and crawl back under my rock.
![Embarrassment](https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/images/smilies/redface.gif)
#2
Wow, that is something I hadn't hear of before. I looked up the manufacturer and found this on their site:
http://www.hailcannon.com/index.html
http://www.hailcannon.com/index.html
How Hail Cannons Work
The Hail Cannon is a shock wave generator used to disrupt the formation of hailstones in their growing phase. An explosive charge of acetylene gas & air is fired in the lower chamber of the machine. As the resulting energy passes through the neck & into the cone it develops into a force that becomes a shockwave. This shockwave, clearly audible as a large whistling sound, then travels at the speed of sound into & through the cloud formations above, disrupting the growth phase of the hailstones.
The device is repeatedly fired every 4 seconds over the period when the storm is approaching & until it has passed through the area. What would otherwise have fallen as hail stones then falls as slush or rain. It is critical that the machine is running during the approach of the storm in order to affect the developing hail stone. These machines can not alter the form of an already developed & therefore solidified hailstone.
While the History of Hail cannons date back into the 18th century, the modern Hail Cannon has been developed largely over the last 30 years with most development in the latter 10 of those.
The protected area for an individual machine is approximately a 500 meter radius with a lower level of effectiveness as distance from the device increases.
Radar controlled systems are available to replace the human factor required to start & stop the unit. This is particularly important in areas subject to hails storms at night. Radio & Pager controlled is the standard method.
The Hail Cannon is a shock wave generator used to disrupt the formation of hailstones in their growing phase. An explosive charge of acetylene gas & air is fired in the lower chamber of the machine. As the resulting energy passes through the neck & into the cone it develops into a force that becomes a shockwave. This shockwave, clearly audible as a large whistling sound, then travels at the speed of sound into & through the cloud formations above, disrupting the growth phase of the hailstones.
The device is repeatedly fired every 4 seconds over the period when the storm is approaching & until it has passed through the area. What would otherwise have fallen as hail stones then falls as slush or rain. It is critical that the machine is running during the approach of the storm in order to affect the developing hail stone. These machines can not alter the form of an already developed & therefore solidified hailstone.
While the History of Hail cannons date back into the 18th century, the modern Hail Cannon has been developed largely over the last 30 years with most development in the latter 10 of those.
The protected area for an individual machine is approximately a 500 meter radius with a lower level of effectiveness as distance from the device increases.
Radar controlled systems are available to replace the human factor required to start & stop the unit. This is particularly important in areas subject to hails storms at night. Radio & Pager controlled is the standard method.
#3
I'm a former Navy weatherman and knowing how hail forms by rain water droplets being blown up into the upper atmosphere, freezing and falling as hail, I really think this is a lot of bunk. The more times a hailstone is lifted and falls, gets lifted again, the larger it gets. I don't believe the supposedly sound frequency can prevent hail from forming.
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