Effect of wall temperature and aspect ratio on the solid-liquid interface during freezing inside a rectangular enclosure

Abstract

The effect of aspect ratio on the solidification phase front inside a rectangular enclosure was investigated. One vertical side of the enclosure was isothermal while the rest of the sides were adiabatic. Three different types of n-paraffins namely, n-octadecane, n-heptadecane and n-hexadecane were used in the solidification experiments. It was found that n-hexadecane, which gave a clear and sharp phase front, was a better candidate for the solidification experiments. Using an enclosure with a higher aspect ratio produces a flatter phase front compared to that of lower aspect ratio, a qualitative indication that the natural convection in the liquid of lower aspect ratio has a stronger influence on the phase front.