THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF THE TIME-SCALING OF FROST GROWTH AND DENSIFICATION ON FLAT SURFACES

Christian J. L. Hermes
Department of Mechanical Engineering, POLO Research Laboratories, Federal University of Santa Catarina, 88040535 Florianópolis, SC, Brazil

Andrew D. Sommers
Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Miami University, 56 Garland Hall, 650 East High Street, Oxford, OH 45056 USA

DOI: 10.1615/TFEC2019.phc.026134
pages 1127-1130

Palavras-chave: frost growth and densification, flat surface, scale analysis, square-root-of-time rule

Resumo

This brief paper describes the time evolution of three key parameters of frost accretion on flat surfaces: thickness, density, and accumulated mass. A scale analysis is conducted based on energy and mass balances on and within a mature frost layer subjected to frost growth and densification, revealing that both frost thickness and density obey the square-root-of-time rule typical of diffusive-dominant problems in transport phenomena. As a consequence, the accumulated frost mass varies linearly with time. The results have been corroborated with experimental data.