B) STORAGE OF NEGATIVE CALORIES

Basic thermodynamics data tell us that to produce refrigeration as well as calories outside the energy fossil fuels consumption, nuclear power, dams or others, we can use the energy transfer between a hot source and a cold one.

A refrigerator, a heat pump, air conditioning tools are diverse applications of this transfer and operate under the same principle.

Let us get out of a strictly domestic applications of this principle and expanding our thinking to the natural environment and particularly to neighboring areas of glaciers in the world and in their evolution.

1) Sad evidence : glaciers tend to decrease

Since modern man has been measuring them, glaciers tend to decline throughout the world, whatever the latitudes/altitudes (Technical file, attached hereto).

The glaciers withdrawval could be the consequence of the warming observed of the Earth's atmosphere, mainly linked to human activity.

So far, we are experiencing this fatal trend. Nobody knows the magnitude or duration, but the projections in this area do not encourage optimism.

Proposal axis

Our proposal is to try to resist this trend, while promoting a more rational use of the glaciers in a favorable direction to the environment and the management of the reserve of soft water.

Soft water reserve on earth represents only 2.5% of total water, 97.5% being formed by the salt water (seas & oceans). Of these 2.5%, two-thirds comes from glaciers and ice fields, or 220 000 billion m3, the balance of 110 000 billion m3, from the rain. This is a better understanding of the importance that represent ice fields as soft water reserves.

2) Our proposal : turn water into ice "in situ"

First step : adapt the use of "snow guns" automates whose technology is well controlled.

Second step : develop ice adpated production new systems based on the concept. In the draft, it is no longer in effect to produce snow, but directly ice.

We have to optimize the contact between the cold air and water, it means to transfer the negative calories from the cold air into flowing water.

This change of target should lead to simplification of the production system : indeed it will no longer be necessary to induce a nucleation with an air compressor.

Water droplets in surfusion will be transformed instantaneously into ice upon contact with the surface, whether snow or ice.

Thus, refrigeration production mechanism in the form of ice itself from the production of compressed air (required in the snow) and evolves into a simplification of the system and a more simple, less energy, and going in the direction of automation on the one hand and the technical improving of other devices production on the other hand.

In principle, a snow gun may start producing as soon as the temperature reaches -4 to -5 ° C. This triggering threshold makes it possible to consider a wide range of geographical sites (couple altitude / latitude, where it will be possible to operate). 

As regards the glaciers specific case, we know that there are permanently free water flowing under the ice (under-glaciers torrents), and sometimes water could be stored under the glaciers by locks ice, or both.

In cases where the flow and reserves would be insufficient in  winter (which is often occurres), it could possible to store water during the  warmer period, some of this water in tanks of modest size, arranged on the blanks of glaciers, within the lateral moraine. These tanks, networked, providing additional free water to turn into ice at the appropriate time and place chosen, when weather conditions required are fulfilled. From now on some ski resorts, equipped with snow guns, have done this kind of altitude water reservoirs that supply some of the water needed to operate guns located downstream along the ski tracks.

The amount of the energy needed to possibly water backing up and run the guns might electric or natural (wind, photovoltaic). In cases where conditions are suitable, the entire energy spray of free water could come from to the possible elevation between the water storage and guns, without external energy input.

The minimum altitude required for spraying is 100 meters.

3) Positive side-effects

On reflection, many direct or indirect effects could be induced by the development of the concept :

Increase in freshwater reserve (buffering) in the form of ice :
"A glacier is a waterstock, but without dam": it is a freshwater interseasonal storage.

Improved maintenance and eventual recovery of a heritage tourism (glaciers and / or ski slopes)

New regulation of streamflow from the glaciers. Increased flow during the warm period and wider distribution of the  water coming from the glaciers’melting, with the corollary of an increase in capacity downstream irrigation

1) Retrieve and storing excess negative calories during the winter.
Micro-climatic effect by increasing the mass of ice and coolness lasted from the latent heat of melting of ice during the intermediate period and the summer. An influence on the flora and fauna in the vicinity should be studied around.

2) Decrease the temperature of rivers downstream: average temperatures of rivers have tended to increase in former years, linked to the growth of human activity in the developed areas : nuclear sites, various industries an domestic wastewater.

3) Valuation of an available and cheap electrical energy during a period of low consumption

(if necessary, to pump up the water to the required level).

4) Specific technological innovations induced by this process : new technology of guns, automation, simplification, more efficient and innovative technics, along with possible impacts on direct economic activity and/or second hand ones.

4) Areas concerned

It is obvious that the concept does not just apply to only icy areas (glaciers and icefielfs) but to all zones where the couple altitude / latitude parameters can meet ice production conditions, and particularly : temperature, humidity, economical situation,  flow rate, heights difference, topography, access conditions, etc.

In our temperate latitudes, winter ice production could spread out of the areas where this ice is usefull or really necessary, but enlarged, according to this principle, to a lot of others areas, where it is possible to store large amounts of solid water for a certain period, and act as a temporary "dam", but without the dam structure.

From this data, one can imagine that manyall over the world could be equipped with this system. Among the most obvious one can cite as examples in France.

The “white” and “black” glaciers in the Massif des Ecrins. They are located in the National Park “ des Écrins”, but isnt’it urgent to intervene, despite the regulatory constraints, specific for this type of park ?

“Bossons” glacier, the “Mer de Glace”, “Argentière” in the Mont Blanc area,

Glacier “de Sarennes” within le massif du Dauphiné massif, which offers the double feature to be oriented in front of the south and to be trapped in a bowl.

 Some natural altitude lakes are covered with ice for several months of the year ; in  this case, we could just amplifiy the phenomenon and create a permanent stock of ice in the lake itself or downstream.

This list is obviously very restrictive and particularly focused to France ;  there is a lot of areas, located all over the world, where this process can be managed ;  many sites in the world where production conditions are present:

- Available free water,
- Favorable climate for a sufficiently long period,
- Workeable topography,
- Obvious economic interest,
- Guarantee of the safety for people around.

C) TECHNICAL APPROACH

1) Presence of free water under the glaciers

Many publications mention the existence of water deep under glaciers, in the form of pockets and streams. This water comes from different sources :

Melt

Melting snow

Precipitation

The streams are highly variable, depending on the sites and seasons, but still standing. According rocky profiles, there are pockets of water that are natural storage of liquid water.

"Glaciers are regulators of water, this feature helps territories around icy fields."

The concept implementation could reinforce and extend this regulator commitment.

2) Free water coming from the glaciers is already used

Let us mention two types of exploitation (in France) under glaciers water.

Argentiere glacier by EMOSSON SA

Glacier Tré –la-tête by UGINE STEE

In both cases, they capture water in high altitude to increase reserves in deep water downside and optimize hydropower production. A lot of studies have been driven in his time at these two sites ; it would be appropriate as a first step, to derive a part of the water captured but in order to transform it into ice.

Our project could then take this same approach to the under-glaciers capture, and to turn it into ice, "in situ", with the aim of :

Increasing the stock of ice,

Limiting ice removal,

Amplifying the glaciers role regulation,

Maintaining and even enhancing its role about tourism and other business.

3) Glaciers removal is a reality

Glaciers are in an decline for several decades worldwide, "the ablation is, in aggregate, more than the accumulation."

Nobody contests now this trend, which was not yet the case, a couple years ago.

The decline is reflected in both the fall in front of the glacier (which is visible) and especially by the decreasing of the mass of ice: thickness and width.

All studies are testifying this trend and according to this ones, we have selected three representative examples, particularly in France, but there are plently of examples  worldwide :

Argentiere glacier

Since the year 1819 until today, the glacier had suffered a withdrawal of 1537 m, 10.4 m / year. This decline has increased since 1945, with an average annual withdrawal of 20.4 m / year.

Glacier Sarennes

As we have pointed out above, this glacier is exposed to the south, which makes it particularly vulnerable to climate change today.

The variation of the "stock water" between 1948 and 1971 would have shown a cumulative loss of 6.59 Mm3/km2 value of water. The application of our concept to the glacier has a real economic interest, in so far as this is part of the glacier ski area of the village ,of Alpe d'Huez.

Lake Rochemelon

The case of Lake Rochemelon high Maurienne valley, could be subject to a copy realization of the concept. Indeed, this lake located at 3200m above sea level, likely for several years to overflow during the summer, as a result of excessive melting of the ice.

Applied to this site, our idea could solve concomitant risks arising from the melting summer excessive, and make an experimental concept in a scientific environment quality, thanks to the collaboration of experts from the RTM and LGGE.

Note: To date, the lake was simply discharged. Because of the altitude (3200m), we believe that the water could  have be "recovered" according to our concept, with a spraying device located from 3100 m during the cold period.

The ablation is a worldwide reality

In recent years, scientific publications and various observations, highlighting global warming and the decline of the icy fields around the world are increasingly moving all in the same direction.

In Alaska, the boreal forest tends to take place over the tundra (and its ecosystem).

In Siberia  and in Alaska, the boundary between the permafrost and tundra tends to fall to the north, causing such a change in the mechanical strength of the soil and causes irreversible cracks on buildings.

In Tibet, Chinese scientists have measured the glacier Zepu has lost more than 91 meters thick ice during the last thirty years. According to Dr. Yao, this observation may be extended to the whole icy fields of Tibet. "This is happening to the glaciers in Tibet is spreading to the entire planet," says Dr. Lonnie G. Thompson, a geologist at the University of Ohio (USA), "Our measurements show that between 1850 and 1960 the glaciers were down 7.5% between 1960 and 2000, they have lost 7%. From now on the Indian and Chinese authorities have decided to take into account the phenomenon ablation of glaciers in the region of Tibet.

In Peru, the glacier Quelcaya fell by 183 meters per year between 2000 and 2002, compared to 4.6 meters on the two decades 1960 and 1970.

In Kenya, the icy surface of Kilimanjaro covrered down from 1114 hectares in 1912 to 245 hectares in 2000 and is expected to disappear by fifteen years.

Mains factors to glaciers melting

1) Daytime summer temperatures, which are responsible in some cases for 40 to 50% of total removal is the main factor of the melting .

2) direct sunshine
3) So-called "fœhn" winds, or “katabatic” (still called "Chinook" in the Rockies).
4) Precipitation-summer storm
5) Lower-snow precipitation.
6) Raising the limit rain / snow

7) Sublimation of the ice

All these factors are secondary effects of the climate change conditions  which are observed and measured for several decades.

D) DRAFT PRE-SURVEY

As a first step, it is necessary to study the feasibility of the project. Without prejudging the development prospects, we are suggesting to realize a pre-feasibility study including technical, economical and environmental aspects.

This study will aim to :

Identify several sites in the world, enable to receive the first experimental tests.

Fit the stakes : strategical, financial, technical and environmental.

Develop the concept trougu the world  : identifying and making contact with potential partners in all countries concerned.

Task Force

Three people

One project manager: organization, management and monitoring

One assistant

One expert (Hydrologist/ Glaciologist) : identification, mapping, plans and technical data

Duration

10 months