As the winter sports craze sweeps across China, traditional winter sports venues face three major challenges: seasonal restrictions, high energy consumption, and long construction cycles. For example, a Beijing outdoor ski resort operates for only three to four months each year, remaining idle for the rest of the year. This translates to a payback period of eight to ten years. The emergence of air-inflated snow and ice parks has revolutionized this landscape.

Air-inflated snow and ice parks are becoming a new trend in the global winter entertainment industry. Their core goal is to overcome the seasonal and geographical constraints of traditional winter sports venues, enabling year-round, uninterrupted operation. This innovative structure utilizes high-strength PVDF membrane as its outer structure, maintained in a stable form by an intelligent air pressure system. Its interior features advanced constant temperature cooling and snowmaking systems, creating a realistic winter environment in any climate. Compared to traditional concrete or steel structures, air-inflated structures can shorten construction times by over 80%, with the entire process, from site leveling to equipment commissioning, completed in just 30-60 days. This reduces overall investment costs by approximately 30-40%.

In terms of cooling technology, the biggest challenge facing air-inflated snow parks is achieving efficient temperature control within the lightweight membrane structure. Because the thermal insulation performance of air-inflated buildings differs significantly from that of traditional buildings, conventional cooling solutions often result in increased energy consumption or significant temperature fluctuations. To address this challenge, Focusun Refrigeration has developed a dual-mode cooling system specifically for air-inflated buildings. Combining ethylene glycol solution circulation with direct evaporation of Freon (FC) technology, this system ensures stable low-temperature conditions while reducing energy consumption to approximately 60% of traditional solutions. The ethylene glycol system is suitable for large-scale, basic cooling and offers lower operating costs. The FC system, on the other hand, is designed for precise temperature control in areas such as skating rinks or snow slopes. Its faster response time effectively mitigates heat exchange issues caused by air replenishment within the air-inflated structure.

Snowmaking technology is another key breakthrough. While traditional snowmaking machines rely on sub-zero temperatures, Focusun’s snow-blowing machines utilize compression refrigeration and snow flake clutch technology. Using only tap water, they can produce artificial snow that’s 95% similar to natural snow at an outdoor temperature of 35°C. This technology not only addresses the feasibility of building ice and snow parks in tropical regions but also significantly reduces operating costs—water consumption per ton of snow is 30% lower than traditional equipment. Furthermore, the snowflake size and density are adjustable, making it suitable for diverse entertainment scenarios, such as snow-blowing shows, snowy amusement parks, or ski training trails.

Focusun’s core advantage lies in its integrated environmental control system, which balances humidity and air quality within the air dome through a combination of “refrigeration dehumidification + fresh air circulation” technology. The refrigeration dehumidifier consumes only one-eighth the energy of conventional air conditioners and efficiently condenses water vapor, preventing frost on the ice surface. The fresh air system, through directional airflow, prevents stratification of hot and cold air, ensuring visitor comfort. Furthermore, all equipment features a modular design, facilitating quick installation and ongoing maintenance, particularly suited to the removable and relocatable nature of air domes. For example, in the Chengdu Global Center’s air dome snow park, Focusun’s GX series refrigeration units work in conjunction with underground aluminum ductwork to maintain a constant temperature of -5°C even in summer temperatures exceeding 40°C, reducing annual operating energy consumption by 22% compared to budget.

In terms of market application, air dome snow parks have evolved from simple sports facilities into cultural and tourism complexes, integrating diverse programs such as ice sculpture exhibitions, themed light shows, and parent-child interactive activities. A Shanghai air-inflated ice rink, using an intelligent lighting system to create an “Aurora Night Skating” experience, has seen nighttime visitor traffic increase to 45%. Sanya’s Tropical Ice and Snow World, using Ferguson’s high-temperature snowmaking technology combined with a heat recovery system to supply hot shower water, has become a benchmark for sustainable tourism in the region. In the future, with the introduction of 5G and AR technologies, air-inflated ice and snow parks will be further upgraded to “metaverse ski resorts,” for example, enabling interactive virtual snowball fights through wearable devices and leveraging real-time data to optimize refrigeration system efficiency.

As one of the few companies globally offering full-service air-inflated snow and ice parks, Focusun Refrigeration’s technology has been applied to landmark projects such as the Dubai Indoor Ski Resort and the Guangzhou Zhengjia Ice and Snow Arena. Its high-temperature snowmaking machines hold over 50% of the global market share. The company is promoting the commercialization of next-generation CO₂ refrigerants and exploring renewable energy solutions combined with photovoltaics to further reduce carbon emissions. For investors, an 8,000-square-meter air-inflated snow and ice park typically pays off within three to four years. Its low barrier to entry and quick return model is accelerating the ice and snow industry’s transition from a “seasonal economy” to a “year-round economy.”

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