An experimental study of water freezing in cylindrical stagnation flow

In this experimental study, we investigate the freezing of water in cylindrical stagnation flow, using a device. The water impinges vertically on a cold flat plate while the water outlet section is cylindrical. The water starts to freeze when the substrate plate is sufficiently cold. The effects of distance between the outlet and the substrate plate, magnitude of the flow strain, water temperature, and the plate involved in ice formation, and most importantly, the final thickness of the ice have been investigated. We are also looking for a way to determine the flow regime in stagnation flow. Results are compared for validation with those of a numerical solution. The results show a good agreement in the middle of the ice thickness curve. As a result, the speed of ice formation is very high at first, and declines sharply with a steep slope. Also, a particular definition is employed for achieving the regimes (laminar, turbulent, or transitional) in stagnation flow. According to the results, the ice thickness in laminar flow is more than in turbulent one.