Calculation of refrigeration loads by convection, radiation and condensation in ice rinks using a transient 3D zonal model

This article presents the results of simulations using a zonal airflow model, a radiation model and a humidity model to predict the heat fluxes, the transient airflow patterns as well as the temperature and absolute humidity distributions in a 3D section of an indoor ice rink in Montreal. The results of the simulations are in good agreement with published CFD(Computational Fluid Dynamics) results and experimental measurements. The principal advantage of using the present model to simulate the thermal and airflow fields in an ice rink is the computational time which is very short compared to that used by a CFD model. The effects of the ceiling emissivity and the temperature set point in the stands on heat transfer toward the ice were studied by conducting a parametric study.