Freezing and Thawing Heat Transfer With Water Flow Around Isothermally Cooled Cylinders in Staggered and Aligned Arrangements

Ice formation and melting phenomena with water flow around isothermally cooled cylinders arranged in staggered and aligned manners, respectively, are examined. Experiments are performed for transient freezing and melting processes as well as for steady-state conditions. Analytical models are also introduced to examine heat transfer characteristics of the transient processes. It is found that the melting is twice as fast as the freezing for both the staggered and aligned arrangements. Experimental correlations for ice storage efficiency as well as for the ice filling-up rate are proposed. It is shown that the ice filling-up rate is strongly affected by the Reynolds number, cooling temperature, and cylinder pitch perpendicular to water flow.