Numerical Analysis of Freezing Phenomena of Water around the Channel Tube of MF Evaporator

Abstract

In this study, the process of freezing around two consecutively arranged channel tubes used for evaporatorheat exchange was numerically investigated. Numerical results confirmed that the vortex occurred between thefront channel and the rear channel and also that the vortex occurred due to the rapid change of the channelat the rear of the rear channel. These vortices were found to play a role in reducing the ice layer to someextent by the growth of the ice layer at the front and rear of the channel tube. The freezing layer showed atendency to gradually increase as it passed through the channel pipe. As the wall temperature in the channelpipe decreased, the thickness of the freezing layer increased. As the flow rate of water slowed, the thicknessof the freezing layer became thicker. In particular, in the case of a slow flow rate of 0.03 m/s, the freezinglayers of the front channel pipe and the rear channel pipe were connected to each other. The narrower thechannel, the thinner the freezing layer was in both the front and rear channel tubes. It is found that thesethin freezing layers are caused by the low thickness of the temperature boundary layer formed around thechannel tube.