Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2025
08:16
Ice Generation and the Heat and Mass Transfer Phenomena of Introducing Water to a Cold Bath of Brine
Published on: March 13, 2017
13.8K
Arena ice quality and perspectives on optimizing performance and addressing emerging challenges.
Ryan H S Hutchins1, Yanan Li2, Greg Taylor3
1Department of Chemistry and Biology, Toronto Metropolitan University, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada. ryan.hutchins@torontomu.ca.
Scientific Reports
|April 19, 2025
Summary
Optimal ice surfaces require balancing temperature and humidity for athlete safety and performance. Further research is needed to validate expert insights on water quality and ice conditions for sports like hockey and figure skating.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Materials Science
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Maintaining optimal ice surfaces is critical for athlete performance and safety in ice sports.
- Expert opinions from ice arena managers provide valuable insights into current practices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify best practices for managing ice conditions by combining expert surveys and literature review.
- To highlight areas needing empirical validation regarding ice temperature, humidity, thickness, and water quality.
Main Methods:
- Survey responses from 55 North American ice arena managers.
- Review of existing literature on ice surface management.
- Examination of factors influencing ice performance: compressive strength, friction, and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS).
Main Results:
- Expert opinions suggest lower temperatures benefit hockey (strength), while warmer temperatures aid figure skating (grip).
- Optimal humidity (40-50%) balances friction and limits frost/sublimation.
- Conflicting recommendations on water quality (TDS) and emerging contaminants (microplastics, PFAS) require further investigation.
Conclusions:
- Controlled experiments are necessary to validate expert insights on ice properties and performance.
- Further research on water quality, TDS, microplastics, and PFAS is crucial for sustainable ice arena operations.
- Bridging expert knowledge and scientific evidence will refine best practices for ice management.
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