Method and system for providing an ice slab while preventing undue freezing penetration below

Claim 1

The method for preventing the penetration of undue cold into the region beneath an ice slab which is to be maintained by refrigerating and pumping cold antifreeze liquid through tubing located for freezing the ice slab comprising the steps of: positioning a multiplicity of small diameter coextruded flexible tubing pairs in spaced parallel relationship forming a grid in which each flexible tubing pair includes two lengths of tubing in the region beneath the freezing tubing and ice slab into which the penetration of undue cold is to be prevented, placing a layer of insulation above said flexible tubing pairs and beneath said freezing tubing and ice slab, warming antifreeze liquid to a temperature above the freezing temperature of water, and circulating said warm antifreeze liquid through said multiple flexible tubing pairs beneath the insulation layer, said warm antifreeze liquid flowing in opposite directions through the respective lengths of tubing in each tubing pair for providing a uniform warm temperature in said region beneath the insulation layer in which said grid is located, thereby to prevent the penetration of undue cold into said region.

Claim 2

The method for preventing the penetration of undue cold into the region beneath an ice slab which is to be maintained by refrigerating and pumping cold antifreeze liquid through tubing located for freezing the ice slab comprising the steps of: positioning a multiplicity of small diameter coextruded flexible tubing pairs in spaced parallel relationship forming a grid in which each flexible tubing pair includes two lengths of tubing in the region beneath the freezing tubing and ice slab into which the penetration of undue cold is to be prevented, placing a layer of insulation above said flexible tubing pairs and beneath said freezing tubing and ice slab, warming antifreeze liquid to a temperature above the freezing temperature of water, and circulating said warm antifreeze liquid through said multiple flexible tubing pairs beneath the insulation layer, said warm antifreeze liquid flowing in opposite directions through the respective lengths of tubing in each tubing pair for providing a uniform warm temperature in said region beneath the insulation layer in which said grid is located, thereby to prevent the penetration of undue cold into said region.

Claim 5

The method for preventing the penetration of undue cold into the region beneath an ice slab which is to be maintained by refrigerating and pumping cold antifreeze liquid through tubing located for freezing the ice slab comprising the steps of: placing a grid of small diameter flexible tubing beneath the tubing and ice slab in the region into which the penetration of undue cold is to be prevented, placing a layer of insulation material above said flexible tubing and beneath said ice slab and freezing tubing, removing heat energy from the cold antifreeze liquid, using some of the heat energy removed from the cold antifreeze liquid for warming some antifreeze liquid to a temperature above the freezing temperature of water, and circulating said warm antifreeze liquid through said grid of flexible tubing beneath the insulation material for preventing the penetration of undue cold into said region.

Claim 6

The method for preventing the penetration of undue cold into the region beneath an ice slab which is to be maintained by refrigerating and pumping cold antifreeze liquid through tubing located for freezing the ice slab comprising the steps of: placing a grid of small diameter flexible tubing beneath the tubing and ice slab in the region into which the penetration of undue cold is to be prevented, placing a layer of insulation material above said flexible tubing and beneath said ice slab and freezing tubing, removing heat energy from the cold antifreeze liquid, using some of the heat energy removed from the cold antifreeze liquid for warming some antifreeze liquid to a temperature above the freezing temperature of water, and circulating said warm antifreeze liquid through said grid of flexible tubing beneath the insulation material for preventing the penetration of undue cold into said region.

Claim 8

The method of creating and maintaining an ice slab such as for a skating rink, ice chute or the like and for preventing heaving damage caused by freezing and expansion of ground moisture under the ice slab, said method comprising the steps of: providing an area of ground, overlaying said area of ground with a first grid of parallel lengths of flexible tubing and providing first supply and return header pipes for said first grid, overlaying said first grid with a layer of insulation material, overlaying said insulation material with a waterproof liner, overlaying said waterproof liner with a second grid of parallel lengths of flexible tubing and providing second supply and return header pipes for said second grid, putting water over said waterproof liner to be frozen into an ice slab, circulating antifreeze liquid through said second header pipes and said second grid, refrigerating said antifreeze liquid to a temperature below the freezing temperature of water by extracting heat energy from this antifreeze liquid for freezing the water in said ice slab, circulating antifreeze liquid through said first header pipes and said first grid, warming said latter antifreeze liquid to a temperature above the freezing temperature of water to prevent freezing and expansion of ground moisture under said ice slab thereby to prevent heaving damage.

Claim 9

The method of creating and maintaining an ice slab such as for a skating rink, ice chute or the like and for preventing heaving damage caused by freezing and expansion of ground moisture under the ice slab, said method comprising the steps of: providing an area of ground, overlaying said area of ground with a first grid of parallel lengths of flexible tubing and providing first supply and return header pipes for said first grid, overlaying said first grid with a layer of insulation material, overlaying said insulation material with a waterproof liner, overlaying said waterproof liner with a second grid of parallel lengths of flexible tubing and providing second supply and return header pipes for said second grid, putting water over said waterproof liner to be frozen into an ice slab, circulating antifreeze liquid through said second header pipes and said second grid, refrigerating said antifreeze liquid to a temperature below the freezing temperature of water by extracting heat energy from this antifreeze liquid for freezing the water in said ice slab, circulating antifreeze liquid through said first header pipes and said first grid, warming said latter antifreeze liquid to a temperature above the freezing temperature of water to prevent freezing and expansion of ground moisture under said ice slab thereby to prevent heaving damage.

Claim 12

A system for creating and maintaining an ice slab for use as a skating rink, ice chute, or the like and for preventing damage caused by penetration of undue cold into the region under the ice slab, said system comprising: a first grid of flexible tubing positioned in the region beneath the area where said ice slab is to be formed, for conducting antifreeze liquid therethrough, insulation material overlaying said first grid of flexible tubing, a waterproof liner overlaying said insulating material for holding water, a second grid of flexible tubing, overlaying said liner for conducting antifreeze liquid therethrough, first pump means for circulating antifreeze liquid through said first grid, second pump for circulating second antifreeze liquid through said second grid, a refrigeration system for extracting heat from the antifreeze liquid circulated through said second grid to cool it below the freezing temperature of water, said refrigeration system including a refrigerant condenser for rejecting the heat extracted by said system, and heat exchange means for using the heat energy extracted from the second antifreeze liquid by said refrigeration system to heat the first antifreeze liquid circulated through said first grid to a temperature above the freezing temperature of water, whereby the antifreeze liquid circulated in said first grid at a temperature above the freezing temperature of water prevents undue penetration of cold into the region under the ice slab.

Claim 13

A system for creating and maintaining an ice slab for use as a skating rink, ice chute, or the like and for preventing damage caused by penetration of undue cold into the region under the ice slab, said system comprising: a first grid of flexible tubing positioned in the region beneath the area where said ice slab is to be formed, for conducting antifreeze liquid therethrough, insulation material overlaying said first grid of flexible tubing, a waterproof liner overlaying said insulating material for holding water, a second grid of flexible tubing, overlaying said liner for conducting antifreeze liquid therethrough, first pump means for circulating antifreeze liquid through said first grid, second pump for circulating second antifreeze liquid through said second grid, a refrigeration system for extracting heat from the antifreeze liquid circulated through said second grid to cool it below the freezing temperature of water, said refrigeration system including a refrigerant condenser for rejecting the heat extracted by said system, and heat exchange means for using the heat energy extracted from the second antifreeze liquid by said refrigeration system to heat the first antifreeze liquid circulated through said first grid to a temperature above the freezing temperature of water, whereby the antifreeze liquid circulated in said first grid at a temperature above the freezing temperature of water prevents undue penetration of cold into the region under the ice slab.

Claim 21

A system for creating and maintaining an ice slab for use as a skating rink, ice chute, or the like and for preventing damage caused by penetration of undue cold into the region under the ice slab, said system comprising: first supply and first return header means, a first grid of parallel lengths of flexible tubing overlaying the area of ground where said ice slab is to be formed, one end of each length of said tubing being connected to said first supply header means, the other end of each length of said tubing being connected to first return header means, said first supply and return header means and said first grid being adapted to circulate antifreeze liquid therethrough, insulating means overlaying said first grid, waterproof liner means overlaying said insulating means for holding water, second supply and second return header means, a second grid of parallel lengths of flexible tubing overlaying said waterproof liner means, one end of each length of said tubing being connected to said second supply header means, the other end of each length of said tubing being connected to said second return header means, said second supply and return header means and said second grid being adapted to circulate antifreeze liquid therethrough, first pump means for circulating antifreeze liquid through said first supply header means, said first grid, and said return header means, second pump means for circulating antifreeze liquid through said second supply header means, said second grid, and said return header means, refrigeration means for extracting heat from the antifreeze liquid circulated by said second pump means to cool it below the freezing temperature of water, and heat exchange means associated with said refrigeration means for heating the antifreeze liquid being circulated by said first pump means to a temperature above the freezing temperature of water with heat extracted from the antifreeze liquid being circulated by second pump means, whereby the antifreeze liquid circulated by said first pump means above the freezing temperature of water, prevents penetration of undue cold into the region under the ice slab, and the antifreeze liquid circulated by said second pump means below the freezing temperature of water freezes water above said liner means into said ice slab.

Claim 22

A system for creating and maintaining an ice slab for use as a skating rink, ice chute, or the like and for preventing damage caused by penetration of undue cold into the region under the ice slab, said system comprising: first supply and first return header means, a first grid of parallel lengths of flexible tubing overlaying the area of ground where said ice slab is to be formed, one end of each length of said tubing being connected to said first supply header means, the other end of each length of said tubing being connected to first return header means, said first supply and return header means and said first grid being adapted to circulate antifreeze liquid therethrough, insulating means overlaying said first grid, waterproof liner means overlaying said insulating means for holding water, second supply and second return header means, a second grid of parallel lengths of flexible tubing overlaying said waterproof liner means, one end of each length of said tubing being connected to said second supply header means, the other end of each length of said tubing being connected to said second return header means, said second supply and return header means and said second grid being adapted to circulate antifreeze liquid therethrough, first pump means for circulating antifreeze liquid through said first supply header means, said first grid, and said return header means, second pump means for circulating antifreeze liquid through said second supply header means, said second grid, and said return header means, refrigeration means for extracting heat from the antifreeze liquid circulated by said second pump means to cool it below the freezing temperature of water, and heat exchange means associated with said refrigeration means for heating the antifreeze liquid being circulated by said first pump means to a temperature above the freezing temperature of water with heat extracted from the antifreeze liquid being circulated by second pump means, whereby the antifreeze liquid circulated by said first pump means above the freezing temperature of water, prevents penetration of undue cold into the region under the ice slab, and the antifreeze liquid circulated by said second pump means below the freezing temperature of water freezes water above said liner means into said ice slab.