Experimental study and modelling of the crystallization of a water droplet

Modelling the crystallisation of a water droplet into a cold humid airflow is the first step in modelling the behaviour of water droplets sprayed out of a snow gun. This modelling, which is based on an experimental study, deals with the behaviour of the droplet which is transformed successively from the supercooled liquid phase to the liquid–solid phase and then the solid phase. These three transformations are brought about by various exchanges: heat transfer with conduction and convection as well as mass transfer with evaporation and sublimation. The supercooling phenomenon is naturally observed during experiments and taken into account in the modelling.