Meltwater Film Research Articles

Snow Temperature Behind Sliding Skis as an Indicator for Frictional Meltwater

For many years, a frictional meltwater film has been assumed to be the reason for the low friction between skis and snow, but experimental studies have been inconclusive. Therefore, the aim of our study was to find indications or evidence for the presence of frictional meltwater. The friction between snow at −4°C and an XC ski as well as a flat ski was measured on a large-scale linear snow tribometer at realistic skiing speeds from 5 to 25 m/s. We used an infrared camera to analyze the snow temperature behind the skis. From the maximum snow surface temperature, we estimated the temperature at the spots where ski and snow contacted. Assuming that the contact spot temperature does not notably exceed 0°C, we calculated the relative contact area between ski and snow. Maximum snow surface temperatures were very close to 0°C. Given that not the entire snow surface is in contact with the ski, this finding is a strong indication for snow melting. Heat flow considerations led to the conclusion that there must be energy dissipation beyond the heat flow into ski and snow. The most obvious mechanism for the additional energy dissipation is snow melting. Presuming that the contact spot temperatures are at most slightly above 0°C, we calculated relative contact areas of 21–98%. Previous research has reported much lower values; however, most studies were conducted under conditions that are not realistic for skiing.

Spatial heterogeneity in subglacial drainage driven bytillerosion.

The distribution and drainage of meltwater at the base of glaciers sensitively affects fast ice flow. Previous studies suggest that thin meltwater films between the overlying ice and a hard-rock bed channelize into efficient drainage elements by melting the overlying ice. However, these studies do not account for the presence of soft deformable sediment observed underneath many West Antarctic ice streams, and the inextricable coupling that sediment exhibits with meltwater drainage. Our work presents an alternate mechanism for initiating drainage elements such as canals where meltwater films grow by eroding the sediment beneath. We conduct a linearized stability analysis on a meltwater film flowing over an erodible bed. We solve the Orr–Sommerfeld equation for the film flow, and we compute bed evolution with the Exner equation. We identify a regime where the coupled dynamics of hydrology and sediment transport drives a morphological instability that generates spatial heterogeneity at the bed. We show that this film instability operates at much faster time scales than the classical thermal instability proposed by Walder. We discuss the physics of the instability using the framework of ripple formation on erodible beds.

In Situ Experimental Study of the Friction of Sea Ice and Steel on Sea Ice

The kinetic coefficient of friction μk was measured for sea ice, stainless steel, and coated steel sliding on a natural sea ice cover. The effects of normal stress (3.10–8.11 kPa), ice columnar grain orientation (vertical and parallel to the sliding direction), sliding velocity (0.02–2.97 m·s–1), and contact material were investigated. Air temperature was higher than −5.0 °C for the test duration. The results showed a decline of μk with increasing normal stress with μk independent of ice grain orientation. The μk of different materials varied, partly due to distinct surface roughnesses, but all cases showed a similar increasing trend with increasing velocity because of the viscous resistance of melt-water film. The velocity dependence of μk was quantified using the rate- and state- dependent model, and μk was found to increase logarithmically with increasing velocity. In addition, μk obtained at higher air temperatures was greater than at lower temperatures. The stick-slip phenomenon was observed at a relatively high velocity compared with previous studies, which was partly due to the low-stiffness device used in the field. Based on the experimental data, the calculation of physical models can be compared.

Meltwater Evolution during Defrosting on Superhydrophobic Surfaces.

Defrosting is essential for removing frost from engineering surfaces, but some fundamental issues are still unclear, especially for defrosting on superhydrophobic surfaces. Here, defrosting experiments on prepared superhydrophobic surfaces were conducted along with the investigation on meltwater evolution characteristics. According to the experiments, the typical meltwater evolution process on superhydrophobic surfaces can be divided into two stages: dewetting by edge curling and dewetting by shrinkage. The edge curling of a meltwater film is a distinct phenomenon and has been first reported in this work. Profiting from the ultralow adhesion of the superhydrophobic surface, edge curling is mainly attributed to two unbalanced forces (one at the interface between the ice slurry layer and pure water layer and the other in the triple phase line area) acting on the layered meltwater film. During the multi-meltwater evolution process, the nonbreaking of chained droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces is also an interesting phenomenon, which is controlled by the interaction between the surface tension and the retentive force because of contact angle hysteresis. An approximate criterion was then developed to explain and determine the status of chained droplets, and experimental data from various surfaces have validated the effectiveness of this criterion. This work may deepen the understanding of defrosting on superhydrophobic surfaces and promote antifrosting/icing applications in engineering.

Rubber Friction on Ice: Experiments and Modeling

Rubber friction on ice is studied both experimentally and theoretically. The friction tests involve three different rubber tread compounds and four ice surfaces exhibiting different roughness characteristics. Tests are carried out at four different ambient air temperatures ranging from $$-5$$ to $$-13\,^{\circ }\hbox {C}$$ , under three different nominal pressures ranging from 0.15 to $$0.45\,\hbox {MPa}$$ , and at the sliding speed 0.65 m/s. The viscoelastic properties of all the rubber compounds are characterized using dynamic mechanical analysis. The surface topography of all ice surfaces is measured optically. This provides access to standard roughness quantities and to the surface roughness power spectra. As for modeling, we consider two important contributions to rubber friction on ice: (1) a contribution from the viscoelasticity of the rubber activated by ice asperities scratching the rubber surface and (2) an adhesive contribution from shearing the area of real contact between rubber and ice. At first, a macroscopic empirical formula for the friction coefficient is fitted to our test results, yielding a satisfactory correlation. In order to get insight into microscopic features of rubber friction on ice, we also apply the Persson rubber friction and contact mechanics theory. We discuss the role of temperature-dependent plastic smoothing of the ice surfaces and of frictional heating-induced formation of a meltwater film between rubber and ice. The elaborate model exhibits very satisfactory predictive capabilities. The study shows the importance of combining advanced testing and state-of-the-art modeling regarding rubber friction on ice.

Ice friction: Role of non-uniform frictional heating and ice premelting.

The low friction of ice is usually attributed to the formation of a thin water film due to melting of ice by frictional heating. Melting of ice is a first order phase transition where physical quantities like mass density, the elastic modulus or the shear strength changes abruptly at the transition temperature. Thus, one may expect the friction coefficient to change abruptly at some characteristic sliding speed, when the melt water film is produced. We show that taking into account that, due to non-uniform frictional heating, melting does not occur simultaneously in all the ice contact regions, the transition is not abrupt but still more rapid (as a function of sliding speed) than observed experimentally. The slower than expected drop in the friction with increasing sliding speed may be a consequence of the following paradoxical phenomena: before the melt-water film is formed, the friction of ice is high and a large frictional heating occur which may result in the melting of the ice. If a thin (nanometer) water film would form, the friction becomes low which results in small frictional heating and the freezing of the water film. This suggests a region in sliding speed where a thin (nanometer) surface layer of the ice may be in a mixed state with small ice-like and water-like domains, which fluctuate rapidly in space and time. Alternatively, and more likely, heat-softening of the ice may occur resulting in a thin, statistically homogeneous (in the lateral direction) layer of disordered ice, with a shear strength which decreases continuously as the ice surface temperature approaches the bulk melting temperature. This layer could be related to surface premelting of ice. Using a phenomenological expression for the frictional shear stress, I show that the calculated ice friction is in good agreement with experimental observations.

Supraglacial channel inception: Modeling and processes

Supraglacial drainage systems play a key role in glacial hydrology. Nevertheless, physical processes leading to spatial organization in supraglacial networks are still an open issue. In the present work we thus address from a quantitative point of view the question of what is the physics leading to widely observed patterns made up of evenly spaced channels. To this aim, we set up a novel mathematical model describing a condition antecedent channel formation, i.e., the down-glacier flow of a distributed meltwater film. We then perform a linear stability analysis to assess whether the ice-water interface undergoes a morphological instability compatible with observed patterns. The instability is detected, its features depending on glacier surface slope, ice friction factor, and water as well as ice thermal conditions. By contrast, in our model channel spacing is solely hydrodynamically driven and relies on the interplay between pressure perturbations, flow depth response, and Reynolds stresses. Geometrical features of the predicted pattern are quantitatively consistent with available field data. The hydrodynamic origin of supraglacial channel morphogenesis suggests that alluvial patterns might share the same physical controls.

Towards a methodology for comparing the effectiveness of different alpine ski waxes

The aim of this work is to develop a methodology for the glide testing of waxed skis at an indoor ski centre, using artificial snow. Two skiers, one acting as a control with unwaxed skis, undertook the test runs over a 50-m course. Timing gates allowed split times to be measured for a selection of waxes, as well as unwaxed skis. Five runs were conducted for each ski preparation, interlaced with control runs. Unwaxed skis produced similar run times to waxed skis for the complete course, with measurements showing their probable superiority over the first 10 m. A tentative interpretation involves the delay in forming a lubricating meltwater film under waxed skis by comparison with unwaxed skis. Recommendations are made for future measurements, including a longer course, close matching of skiers’ masses and ski sizes, all timing systems accurate to 0.001 s, a start 3 m above the first timing gate and more effective methods of wax removal.

Temperature effects of black versus white polyethylene bases for snow skis

Basal temperatures of skis were measured to assess the impact of color on basal energy balance. The skis were identical except one had a black base and the other had a white base. The black-based ski ran at higher temperatures than the white-based ski, even when only diffuse sunlight was reaching the snow surface. Heat production calculations suggest that solar radiation absorption at a ski base can contribute significantly to the production of the meltwater film on which skis glide. Since ski-base color affects the energy balance of the base, color should affect ski friction.

Melting heat transfer characteristics of a horizontal ice cylinder immersed in an immiscible liquid

The melting characteristics of a horizontal ice cylinder immersed in an immiscible liquid were investigated both experimentally and analytically. A clear cylindrical ice layer formed around a horizontal cooling tube with a coaxial outer heated tube was melted in oil as the test immiscible liquid in the annulus between the ice and outer tube. Both the melting behavior of ice and the flow patterns of the immiscible liquid were observed under a variety of outer wall temperature conditions. In the analysis, two boundary layers were introduced for both the melt water film and ambient liquid, respectively. It was found from the experiments that the tendency of the mean Nusselt number changes clearly at Ra = 10 6 , which corresponds to the temperature condition To = 12.0 °C. This analysis might be used to estimate the melting characteristics of such a system during the initial stage oflow temperature conditions.

Melting heat transfer characteristics of a horizontal ice cylinder immersed in an immiscible liquid

The melting characteristics of a horizontal ice cylinder immersed in an immiscible liquid were investigated both experimentally and analytically. A clear cylindrical ice layer formed around a horizontal cooling tube with a coaxial outer heated tube was melted in oil as the test immiscible liquid in the annulus between the ice and outer tube. Both the melting behavior of ice and the flow patterns of the immiscible liquid were observed under a variety of outer wall temperature conditions. In the analysis, two boundary layers were introduced for both the melt water film and ambient liquid, respectively. It was found from the experiments that the tendency of the mean Nusselt number changes clearly at Ra = 106, which corresponds to the temperature condition T0 = 12.0 °C. This analysis might be used to estimate the melting characteristics of such a system during the initial stage of low temperature conditions. © 1998 Scripta Technica, Heat Trans Jpn Res, 27(5): 336–352, 1998

Melting Heat Transfer Characteristics of a Horizontal Ice Cylinder Immersed in Immiscible Liquid.

Melting characteristics of a horizontal ice cylinder immersed within immiscible liquid have been investigated both experimentally and analytically. A clear cylindrical ice layer formed around the horizontal cooling tube with coaxial outer heated tube was melt in the oil as a testing immiscible liquid in the annulus between ice and outer tube. Both the melting behavior of ice and flow pattern of immiscible liquid were observed under a variety of outer wall temperature conditions. In the analysis, a couple of boundary layers were introduced for both melt water film and ambient liquid. respectively. It was found from the experiment that the tendency of mean Nusselt number changes obviously at Ra=105 which corresponds to the temperature condition T0=12.0°C. The present analysis might be utilized to estimate the melting characteristics of such a system for initial stage of low temperature conditions.

Weertman regelation, multiple refreezing events and the isotopic evolution of the basal ice layer

AbstractA simple model is developed to simulate the isotopic fractionation which accompanies Weertman regelation at the bed of temperate-based glaciers. The fractionation equations of Jouzel and Souchez (1982) are applied to multiple refreezing events over measured glacier-bed profiles, and mass balance is maintained as the basal ice and meltwater produced at one bedrock hummock enter the next. Simulation results indicate that undeformed regelation ice layers are on the order of millimetres to centimetres thick, often being completely melted at the stoss face of certain hummocks and exceptionally reaching a thickness in excess of 10 cm. Neither the internal morphology nor the isotopic composition of these layers is constant, but both vary down-glacier in accordance with bedrock configuration. A glacier-wide fractionation process is identified whereby heavy isotopes are preferentially removed from the basal meltwater film and incorporated into the basal ice. This process might go some way to explaining the anomalously “light” isotopic composition measured in base-flow waters leaving some glaciers. Vertical isotope profiles through undeformed basal ice layers are reconstructed and show that significant isotopic excursions can occur at a scale of millimeteres, while the range of isotopic compositions within such multi-layered regelation ice is greater than that which would occur in ice produced by a single refreezing event. In circumstances where the regelation system is disrupted by removal of film waters into a network of linked cavities, it is found that the remaining basal ice may be significantly enriched in heavy isotopes relative to the composition of the initial mass inputs to the system. Heavy isotope enrichment of this magnitude and consideration of the thickness of the basal ice layers concerned may explain the absence of recorded basal ice samples heavy enough to have been formed in equilibrium with subglacial precipitates sampled at one of the sites (Glacier de Tsanfleuron) and reported in an earlier paper.

Weertman regelation, multiple refreezing events and the isotopic evolution of the basal ice layer

AbstractA simple model is developed to simulate the isotopic fractionation which accompanies Weertman regelation at the bed of temperate-based glaciers. The fractionation equations of Jouzel and Souchez (1982) are applied to multiple refreezing events over measured glacier-bed profiles, and mass balance is maintained as the basal ice and meltwater produced at one bedrock hummock enter the next. Simulation results indicate that undeformed regelation ice layers are on the order of millimetres to centimetres thick, often being completely melted at the stoss face of certain hummocks and exceptionally reaching a thickness in excess of 10 cm. Neither the internal morphology nor the isotopic composition of these layers is constant, but both vary down-glacier in accordance with bedrock configuration. A glacier-wide fractionation process is identified whereby heavy isotopes are preferentially removed from the basal meltwater film and incorporated into the basal ice. This process might go some way to explaining the anomalously “light” isotopic composition measured in base-flow waters leaving some glaciers. Vertical isotope profiles through undeformed basal ice layers are reconstructed and show that significant isotopic excursions can occur at a scale of millimeteres, while the range of isotopic compositions within such multi-layered regelation ice is greater than that which would occur in ice produced by a single refreezing event. In circumstances where the regelation system is disrupted by removal of film waters into a network of linked cavities, it is found that the remaining basal ice may be significantly enriched in heavy isotopes relative to the composition of the initial mass inputs to the system. Heavy isotope enrichment of this magnitude and consideration of the thickness of the basal ice layers concerned may explain the absence of recorded basal ice samples heavy enough to have been formed in equilibrium with subglacial precipitates sampled at one of the sites (Glacier de Tsanfleuron) and reported in an earlier paper.

Phenomenological studies on molten core-concrete interactions

Recent assessments of risk due to severe accidents in light water reactors indicate that molten core-concrete interactions (MCCI) may dominate containment loads and performance, as well as the release of non-volatile fission product aerosols to the containment building. This program has investigated several important aspects of MCCIs in an effort to support the USNRC integral melt-concrete programs as well as the CORCON and VANESA computer code development and verification program. Among these are interlayer heat and mass transfer and liquid-liquid boiling processes. The issues of interlayer heat and mass transfer address phenomena that occur primarily interior to the molten core debris itself. Models have been developed to predict the onset of entrainment between liquid layers, the rate of entrainment, and the rate of heat transfer, both with and without entrainment. Application to the reactor case indicates that entrainment and mixing may or may not occur, depending upon the prevailing thermal hydraulic conditions in the melt. The issues of liquid-liquid film boiling address phenomena that occur primarily at the melt-coolant interface. Results from melt-water film boiling studies have suggested that the coolant heat flux increases above the flat plate limit with non-condensable gas injection from below. Steam explosions occur frequently; the frequency and magnitude vary with gas injection rate.