Effect of air parameters on ice sublimation in ice rink

Abstract

This study aims at the sublimation rate of ice and analyzes the influence of supply air and ice parameters on ice surface smoothness. The sublimation rate can be expressed as the product of the sublimation coefficient and humidity ratio difference. COMSOL Multiphysics is adopted as a simulation tool to calculate the associated ice sublimation rate. In ice rinks, the sublimation coefficient is 0.1–0.2 mm/(h·kPa), and the sublimation rate is 0–0.07 mm/h. The results show that the main factor affecting the sublimation coefficient is air velocity over the ice surface. Therefore, the ice sublimation can be decreased by reducing air velocity and decreasing humidity ratio difference between the air and ice surface. The aforementioned findings were applied in an actual curling venue to reduce the sublimation of the ice surface, and the accumulated sublimation within 10 h was reduced from 0.24 mm to 0.016 mm, which effectively solved the problem of ice surface unevenness. This study working on the ice sublimation rate provides inspiration for maintaining the ice stability in ice rinks and improving the quality of venues.