Influence of natural convection on the melting of ice block surrounded by water on all sides

• Published in: International journal of heat and mass transfer Vol. 49; no. 21; pp. 4106 - 4115
• Main Authors: Virag, Zdravko, Živić, Marija, Galović, Antun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2006; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Exact sciences and technology; Finite volume method; Heat transfer; Ice melting; Natural convection; Rectangular enclosure; Theoretical studies. Data and constants. Metering; Ice melting; Rectangular enclosure; Finite volume method; Natural convection; Liquid solid interface; Melting; Nusselt number; Numerical simulation; Ice; Enclosure; Stream line; Heat transfer
• ISSN: 0017-9310; 1879-2189
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2006.04.007

The ice block at initial temperature T is = 0 °C is fixed at the center of a long, prismatic enclosure with isothermal vertical walls and insulated horizontal walls. The enclosure is completely filled with water at initial temperature T il = 0 °C. Six numerical simulations were performed by varying vertical wall temperatures from T W = 2 to 12 °C (range of Rayleigh number from 4.22 × 10 6 to 2.28 × 10 7). In the case of T W > 8 °C the ice melts faster from above and for T W < 8 °C from below. In the case of T W = 8 °C, two vortices are separated by nearly vertical 4 °C isotherm and the average Nusselt number remains constant during the convection dominated regime.