An experimental study on the effect of water conductivities on the speed skating ice quality during layered making process

The ice surface of speed skating adopts the layered ice-making method, and the actual ice-making process only relies on the experience of the ice maker to adjust the conductivity of the water, which is not guided by the theoretical basis. To study the effect of different conductivity on the characteristics of speed skating ice surface, this study chooses water with equal conductivity gradient to carry out the layered ice-making experiment, and measures the parameters of ice transparency, hardness and air content. The research results indicate that as the conductivity of the ice making water increases, the total ice making time decreases, and the transparency and hardness of the ice also decrease. When the conductivity of water increased from 2 μs/cm to 500 μs/cm, the ice making time decreased by 18.1 %, the Shore hardness of ice decreased by 25.4 %, and the drop ball hardness decreased by 30.5 %. During the layered ice making process of water with higher conductivity, electrolytes will precipitate and accumulate at the freezing front, forming white layered stripes and reducing the transparency of the ice. The conductivity of water increased from 2 μs/cm to 100 μs/cm, while the transparency of ice decreased from 73.8 % to 44.9 %. In this study, conductivity is used as a core regulatory parameter to reveal its quantitative effect on ice performance. The research results can optimize the ice making process of speed skating and enhance the skating and watching experience.