Melting of an ice surface in porous medium

Abstract

The buoyancy-driven flow of cold water is seriously affected by the existence of a density extremum in the vicinity of 4°C at atmospheric pressure. In this study we examine the effect of such flow on the melting of a flat ice surface inside a porous matrix. Two basic configurations are considered: a vertical flat surface and a horizontal flat surface. Interesting results document the flowfield in the liquid region. For the vertical plate configuration, depending on the water temperature far from the surface, this flow may be directed upward or downward. A regime that features local flow reversals was also identified. The effect of the flow in the melt region on the melting phenomenon (melting rate and local heat transfer) was also studied. It was found that both the flow reversals and the melting phenomenon itself reduce the local heat transfer at the melting surface. /