Optimal insulation for ice rink floors

Abstract This paper presents an economic analysis to estimate the optimal insulation levels required for indoor ice rinks floors. The analysis is carried out using a thermal ice rink floor system model integrated into EnergyPlus to determine the energy performance of ice rink facilities under different design and operation conditions. Moreover, an ice rink facility is first simulated using a modified version of EnergyPlus that includes the developed ice rink floor system model. The ice rink facility simulation model is then calibrated using monthly utility data. The calibrated ice rink facility simulation model is used to determine economically optimal insulation levels to be placed beneath an ice rink floor in order to reduce energy use and cost for operating ice rink arenas in selected US climates. Finally, the results of sensitivity analyses are utilized to develop a simplified calculation method to determine optimal ice rink floor insulation level as a function of both climatic and economic parameters.

[1]  Moncef Krarti,et al.  Energy Audit of Building Systems : An Engineering Approach , 2000 .

[2]  F. Kreith,et al.  Principles of heat transfer , 1962 .

[3]  Mohamed Ouzzane,et al.  Two-dimensional transient model of airflow and heat transfer in ice rinks , 2006 .

[4]  Milorad Bojić,et al.  Optimization of thermal insulation of a house heated by using radiant panels , 2014 .

[5]  Moncef Krarti,et al.  An ice rink floor thermal model suitable for whole-building energy simulation analysis , 2011 .

[6]  Zhiqiang Zhai,et al.  Modeling phase change materials embedded in building enclosure: A review , 2013 .

[7]  Moncef Krarti,et al.  Heat transfer beneath ice-rink floors , 2008 .

[8]  Amir Faghri,et al.  Transport Phenomena in Multiphase Systems , 2006 .

[9]  Q Chen,et al.  Experimental validation of a computational fluid dynamics model for IAQ applications in ice rink arenas. , 2001, Indoor air.

[10]  Nicolas Galanis,et al.  Numerical prediction of ventilation patterns and thermal processes in ice rinks , 2005 .

[11]  J. Xamán,et al.  Numerical study of earth-to-air heat exchanger: The effect of thermal insulation , 2014 .

[12]  Mustafa Inalli,et al.  A techno-economic comparison of ground-coupled and air-coupled heat pump system for space cooling , 2007 .

[13]  S. Patankar.  Numerical Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow , 2018, Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering.

[14]  Mustafa Inalli,et al.  Technoeconomic appraisal of a ground source heat pump system for a heating season in eastern Turkey , 2006 .

[15]  Jörgen Rogstam,et al.  Energy usage prediction model comparing outdoor vs. indoor ice rinks , 2012 .

[16]  Nicolas Galanis,et al.  Thermal and economic evaluation of heat recovery measures for indoor ice rinks , 2010 .

[17]  C. Dumas.  New brine system for skating rink , 1999 .