Freeze and thaw an ice rink
Freezing an ice rink for an ice hockey series
- The Challenge
Freeze and thaw a mobile rink for an ice hockey series
- The Impact
Happy ice hockey fans and a happy customer
- The Solution
Portable chillers and perfect timing
Client:Ice World
Location:New Zealand
Sectors:Events
The Challenge
Freeze and thaw a mobile rink for an ice hockey series
Three locations, two days, one ice rink. That was the game plan when New Zealand hosted the American and Canadian Ice Hockey series. The series was held at three locations with two days’ access at each to freeze the mobile rink and thaw it out again at the end of the match.
The event organisers were looking for a partner who could supply rapid chilling and thawing. The job required precision timing and an experienced technical team to have the rink ready for the opening face-off at each game.
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The Solution
Portable chillers and perfect timing
To freeze the ice in the short time we had, we used two 600 kW air-cooled fluid chillers set at -12°C. These were linked with flexible hosing that circulated propylene glycol. The humidity was strictly controlled to avoid indoor moisture from melting the water as fast as we chilled it.
Knowing we were dealing with immovable deadlines, our technicians moved in to dismantle the rink and thaw the ice minutes after the last puck had been hit. It was a fast but controlled process that avoided flooding the venue as the ice thawed, and readied the rink for transport to the next venue.