Numerical Simulation of Supercooling Process and Frazil Ice Evolution

Abstract

A mathematical model to simulate the supercooling process and frazil ice evolution is developed from previous models. It incorporates improvements for the physical process of initial seeding, ice particle growth, secondary nucleation, flocculation/breakup, and gravitational removal. A variable Nusselt number related to the flow turbulence is used. It has been found that two calibrated parameters, initial seeding, and a parameter that limits the secondary nucleation are correlated to the turbulence intensity, which is useful for the practical application of the model developed in this paper. Furthermore sensitivity analysis is carried out for these two parameters. The simulations results show good agreements with experimental data.