Ice rink chilling unit, ice rink with chilling unit, and a method of chilling an ice rink

Abstract

An ice rink chilling unit includes a heat extraction subassembly, a refrigeration subassembly, a stand-alone enclosure, and a single-phase AC electrical connector. The extraction subassembly includes quick-connect couplings removably connecting with rink piping to form a secondary closed loop. The refrigeration subassembly defines a primary closed loop engaging the extraction subassembly in heat exchanging relation. The enclosure encapsulates the refrigeration and extraction subassemblies. The quick-connect couplings extend outside of the enclosure. The extraction and refrigeration subassemblies are pre-wired and pre-plumbed inside of the enclosure. The electrical connector is accessible from outside the enclosure and connects the extraction and refrigeration subassemblies to the electrical source in single-phase AC relation. Coolant fluid circulates through the secondary closed loop, and refrigerant fluid circulates through the primary closed loop. The extraction subassembly extracts heat from the rink piping, and transfers heat to the primary closed loop.

1 . An ice rink chilling unit for use with heat-conductive rink piping, a coolant fluid, and a single-phase AC electrical source, said ice rink chilling unit comprising: 
 a) a heat extraction subassembly comprising quick-connect couplings to operatively and removably connect with the rink piping so as to form a secondary closed loop;    b) a refrigeration subassembly comprising a refrigerant fluid and a primary closed loop that operatively engages said extraction subassembly in heat exchanging relation;    c) a stand-alone enclosure substantially encapsulating said refrigeration subassembly and said extraction subassembly, with said quick-connect couplings extending outside of said enclosure, wherein each of said extraction subassembly and said refrigeration subassembly is substantially pre-wired and pre-plumbed inside of said enclosure; and    d) a single-phase AC electrical connector accessible from outside of said enclosure and adapted to operatively connect, in single-phase AC electrical relation, each of said extraction subassembly and said refrigeration subassembly to the electrical source;    wherein the coolant fluid is circulated through said secondary closed loop and said refrigerant fluid is operatively circulated through said primary closed loop; and wherein the coolant fluid within said extraction subassembly operatively transfers heat to said refrigerant fluid within said primary closed loop, so as to enable operative extraction of heat from substantially adjacent to said rink piping.    
   
   
       2 . An ice rink chilling unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said enclosure comprises one or more selectively openable panels to permit ready access to said refrigeration subassembly and said extraction subassembly, pre-wired and pre-plumbed as aforesaid, within said enclosure.  
   
   
       3 . An ice rink chilling unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said quick-connect couplings comprise a supply quick-connect coupling and a return quick-connect coupling.  
   
   
       4 . An ice rink chilling unit according to  claim 3 , wherein said extraction subassembly further comprises: 
 a pump positioned downstream of said return quick-connect coupling to circulate the coolant fluid through said secondary closed loop,    a coolant “T”-fitting substantially interposed between said pump and said return quick-connect coupling, such that excess quantities of the coolant fluid are operatively diverted through said coolant “T”-fitting to an expansion tank, and    coolant heat exchanging piping positioned downstream of said pump and operatively engaging said primary closed loop in said heat exchanging relation, with said supply quick-connect coupling positioned downstream of said heat exchanging piping;    wherein said pump is connected, in said single-phase AC electrical relation, to said electrical connector.    
   
   
       5 . An ice rink chilling unit according to  claim 4 , wherein said expansion tank is positioned within said enclosure at a height that is substantially above said coolant “T”-fitting.  
   
   
       6 . An ice rink chilling unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said extraction subassembly further comprises at least one heat extracting subcomponent selected from the group consisting of: a pump to circulate the coolant fluid through said secondary closed loop; a coolant “T”-fitting to operatively divert excess quantities of the coolant fluid away from said secondary closed loop; an expansion tank; and coolant heat exchanging piping operatively engaging said primary closed loop in said heat exchanging relation.  
   
   
       7 . An ice rink chilling unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said refrigeration subassembly further comprises a cooling condenser fan.  
   
   
       8 . An ice rink chilling unit according to  claim 7 , wherein said primary closed loop comprises: 
 a first section of refrigerant heat exchanging piping operatively engaging said extraction subassembly in said heat exchanging relation,    a compressor positioned downstream of said first section,    a suction line substantially interposed between said first section and said compressor,    a second section of refrigerant heat exchanging piping positioned downstream of said compressor and substantially adjacent to said fan, such that operative rotation of said fan draws air across and extracts heat from said refrigerant within said second section, and    a refrigerant expansion valve to reduce pressure on said refrigerant downstream of said second section;    wherein each of said compressor and said fan is connected, in said single-phase AC electrical relation, to said electrical connector.    
   
   
       9 . An ice rink chilling unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said primary closed loop comprises at least one refrigerating subcomponent selected from the group consisting of: a first section of refrigerant heat exchanging piping operatively engaging said extraction subassembly in said heat exchanging relation; a compressor; a second section of refrigerant heat exchanging piping to extract heat from said refrigerant; and a refrigerant expansion valve to reduce pressure on said refrigerant.  
   
   
       10 . An ice rink chilling apparatus for use with a single-phase AC electrical source, said ice rink chilling apparatus comprising: 
 a) a heat extraction assembly comprising a coolant fluid, an encapsulated extraction subassembly, heat-conductive rink piping, and quick-connect couplings connected to said extraction subassembly and removably connected to said rink piping so as to form a secondary closed loop;    b) a refrigeration subassembly comprising a refrigerant fluid and a primary closed loop that operatively engages said extraction subassembly in heat exchanging relation;    c) a stand-alone enclosure substantially encapsulating said refrigeration subassembly and said extraction subassembly, with said quick-connect couplings extending outside of said enclosure, wherein each of said refrigeration subassembly and said extraction subassembly is substantially pre-wired and pre-plumbed inside of said enclosure; and    d) a single-phase AC electrical connector accessible from outside of said enclosure and adapted to operatively connect, in single-phase AC electrical relation, each of said refrigeration subassembly and said extraction subassembly to the electrical source;    wherein the coolant fluid is circulated through said secondary closed loop and said refrigerant fluid is circulated through said primary closed loop; and wherein the coolant fluid within said extraction subassembly operatively transfers heat to said refrigerant fluid within said primary closed loop, so as to enable operative extraction of heat from substantially adjacent to said rink piping.    
   
   
       11 . An ice rink chilling apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein said rink piping comprises a plurality of elongate and closely spaced pipe sections joined together at respective ends thereof by “U”-shaped bends to form a single substantially continuous length of piping, with each of said pipe sections resting on chair supporting members, and wherein said plurality is together selectively rollable from an operative configuration to a rolled and readily movable configuration.  
   
   
       12 . An ice rink chilling apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein each of said pipe sections is pre-formed from a plastic material that is heat-conductive and UV stabilized.  
   
   
       13 . A method of chilling an ice rink comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing heat-conductive rink piping, a coolant fluid, and a single-phase AC electrical source,    b) providing an ice rink chilling unit, said ice rink chilling unit including: 
 i) a heat extraction subassembly comprising quick-connect couplings;  
 ii) a refrigeration subassembly comprising a refrigerant fluid and a primary closed loop that operatively engages said extraction subassembly in heat exchanging relation;  
 iii) a stand-alone enclosure substantially encapsulating said refrigeration subassembly and said extraction subassembly, with said quick-connect couplings extending outside of said enclosure, wherein each of said extraction subassembly and said refrigeration subassembly is substantially pre-wired and pre-plumbed inside of said enclosure; and  
 iv) a single-phase AC electrical connector accessible from outside of said enclosure;  
   c) operatively and removably connecting said quick-connect coupling to the rink piping so as to form a secondary closed loop;    d) operatively connecting, in single-phase AC electrical relation, each of said extraction subassembly and said refrigeration subassembly to said electrical source; and    e) circulating said coolant fluid through said secondary closed loop and circulating said refrigerant fluid through said primary closed loop; such that said coolant fluid within said extraction subassembly operatively transfers heat to said refrigerant fluid within said primary closed loop, so as to extract heat from substantially adjacent to said rink piping.    
   
   
       14 . A method of chilling an ice rink according to  claim 13 , wherein said rink piping comprises chair supporting members and a plurality of elongate and closely spaced pipe sections, and wherein said method further comprises an additional step, before step (b), of: 
 a.1) rolling said rink piping from a rolled and readily movable configuration to an operative configuration, whereat said pipe sections rest on said chair supporting members.