Laminar flow heat transfer in a tube with internal solidification.

Abstract

The laminar flow heat transfer in a tube with internal solidification has been investigated theoretically and experimentally. The variations of local heat flux, velocity profile of fluid and solid-liquid interface profile of frozen layer during freezing were determined numerically as a function of time and position along the tube. The steady state heat transfer rates and solid-liquid interface profiles calculated showed better approaches to previous experimental data which, however, had considerable deviations with the earlier theory, mainly produced by free convection. Experiments were carried out for water flowing in a vertical tube within the range of Re = 1001600. The results confirmed and strenthened the effects of solidification upon laminar flow heat transfer that arose from the three dimensional heat conduction in the frozen layer and the liquid velocity profile deformed through the channel contracted with the solidified layer. Experimental data agreed well with the present numerical analyses, and showed the effects induced by liquid supercooled and flow transition from laminar to turbulent due to unstable growth of frozen layer.