Prediction of yearly energy requirements of indoor ice rinks

A model of the transient heat transfer between the ground under and around the foundations of an indoor ice rink and the brine circulating in pipes embedded in the concrete slab under the ice has been coupled with a previously developed model calculating heat fluxes towards the ice by convection, radiation and phase changes. Subroutines calculating the energy consumption for heating and humidifying (or cooling and reheating) the ventilation air have also been added to the model. The resulting simulation tool has been used to calculate monthly refrigeration loads and energy consumption by the ventilation system, the lights, the brine pump, the radiant heating system of the stands and the underground electric heating used to prevent freezing and heaving for four North American cities with very different climates. Correlations expressing the energy consumption of the ventilation air stream in terms of the sol-air temperature are formulated.