Table of Contents
What is a hockey floor made of?
The technology used in indoor ice rinks is the same type found in refrigerators and air conditioners. Brinewater is pumped through a system of pipes under the ice. Those pipes are built into the concrete that makes the arena floor.
What chemical is used in ice rinks?
What is ammonia? Anhydrous ammonia is a toxic gas recognizable by its pungent odor. Anhydrous ammonia compressed into a liquid form is commonly used in mechanical refrigeration systems for indoor ice rinks and other facilities. It becomes a gas when released into the ambient air.
How deep is the ice on a NHL hockey rink?
Ice is approximately 3/4″ of an inch thick and is usually chilled at 16 degrees fahrenheit. The thicker the ice, the softer and slower it becomes.
What are the 3 gas laws that help ice stay frozen?
Gay-Lussac’s (Amontons’) law, Charles’s law, and Boyle’s law form the combined gas law. These three gas laws in combination with Avogadro’s law can be generalized by the ideal gas law.
Why do Zambonis use hot water?
The Zamboni is a mechanical ice resurfacer. The heated water, according to Tharaldson, is about 140 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit (60-63 centigrade); “the hotter the water,” he says, “the more even a surface you’ll get–it melts that top layer when you cut across [the ice].”
How does ice rink refrigeration work?
In ice rinks, the refrigerant cools brine water, an anti-freezing agent, which goes through pipes underneath the ice. These steel pipes are typically embedded into a concrete slab and kept at 32 F / 0 C, so that any water placed on top of the slab freezes and becomes the skating surface that we see.
Are Zamboni tires studded?
Each tire on the Zamboni machine is hand-studded, with around 400 Tungsten Carbide studs used for each machine’s full set of tires.
How do they keep the ice rink from freezing over?
The bottom concrete slab is heated to keep the ground from freezing and potentially cracking the rink surface or structure. Steel pipes wind back and forth under the rink, removing heat from the bottom concrete slab.
How long does it take to make ice at a hockey rink?
With the arena temperature at approximately 50°F and the top concrete slab at 16°F, someone will spray water on the surface of the rink with a spray wand. It takes about 8 hours to spray enough layers to get 1/2 of ice.
How do they defrost an ice skating rink?
When it comes time to defrost or remove the ice to use the facility for other events, the brine water is simply heated. The ice can eventually be broken up and removed with an end loader. How Do They Make the Ice at an Ice Skating Rink?
Why does the ice rink have insulation at the bottom?
Time and outdoor temperature changes could cause unexpected expansion or contracting, so the insulation acts as a barrier. At the very bottom on the rink, there is a layer of sand and gravel which holds a drainage pipe for groundwater.