Thermal and hydrodynamic considerations of ice slurry in heat exchangers

This article focuses on the behavior in heat exchangers of an ice slurry composed of fine ice particles inside an ethanol–water solution. The heat transfer and friction characteristics were studied in two double pipe heat exchangers, one with a smooth surface and another with an improved surface. Heat transfer coefficients and pressure drops were experimentally investigated for the slurry flowing in the internal tube with ice mass fractions ranging from 0 to 30% and with flow velocities between 0.3 and 1.9 m s−1. For some flow velocities, the results showed that an increase in the ice fractions caused a change in the slurry flow structure influencing the evolution of the pressure drops and the heat transfer coefficients. Critical ice fraction values were determined corresponding to a change flow structure from laminar to turbulent motion revealed by the evolution of the friction factor.