Effects of the Curvature on the Freezing Phenomena of a Laminar Water Flow in a Curved Channel

Abstract

A numerical study is made on the ice-formation for a laminar flow in a curved channel. When the water flows through the curved channel with the walls specified below the freezing temperature, the ice layer has been formed on the curved surface, different from that of a straight channel. The fluctuation of ice layer has been predicted, considering the variation of velocity and temperature near the curved portion of channel. The study also takes into account the interaction existing between the laminar flow and the curved channel. In the solution strategy, the present study is substantially different from the existing works in that the complete set of governing equations in both the solid and liquid regions are resolved. The results from this study have been mainly presented, focusing on the variation of ice layer close to the curved portion. Numerical results have been obtained parametrically by varying the curved angle and the radius of curvature of channel, in addition to the variation of Reynolds numbers and wall temperatures of channel. The results show that the curved shape of channel has the great effect on the thickness of the solidification layer. The wave of ice layer thickness appears in the vicinity of curved portion. This behavior of ice layer has been amplified as is the increasing of curved angle and the radius of curvature of channel. In addition, the ice layer becomes thin as Reynolds numbers in increasing. And also, as the wall temperature of channel increases, the width of channel becomes to be shrunk due to the growth of ice layers in the upper and lower wall of channel.