Modelling ice melting processes: numerical and experimental validation

Abstract

Purpose

This work is devoted to the experimental analysis, numerical modelling and validation of ice melting processes.

Design/methodology/approach

The thermally coupled incompressible Navier‐Stokes equations including water density inversion and isothermal phase‐change phenomena are assumed as the governing equations of the problem. A fixed‐mesh finite element formulation is proposed for the numerical solution of such model. In particular, this formulation is applied to the analysis of two different transient problems.

Findings

The numerical results computed with the finite element formulation have been found to be very similar to the corresponding predictions, also obtained in this study, provided by a finite volume enthalpy‐based technique. Both numerical results, in turn, satisfactorily approached the available experimental measurements expressly conducted in the context of this work for validation purposes.

Research limitations/implications

They are mainly due to some model simplifications (e.g. no volume changes are considered during the solid‐liquid transformation) and to the inherent difficulties associated with the experimental measurements.

Practical implications

This study may be relevant for a better understanding of the phenomena occurring in different engineering applications involving phase‐change in water: food freezing, ice formation in pipes, freezing/melting processes in soils, ice growth in plane wings, etc.

Originality/value

The study is mainly focused on the validation of the numerical predictions obtained with the finite element formulation mentioned above with other results provided by a well‐known finite volume technique and, in addition, with available laboratory measurements carried out in the context of this work.

Citation

Cruchaga, M. and Celentano, D. (2007), "Modelling ice melting processes: numerical and experimental validation", International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, Vol. 17 No. 5, pp. 548-564. https://doi.org/10.1108/09615530710753008