Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

The Effect Of Streamwise Vortices On The Frost Growth Rate In Developing Laminar Channel Flows, Brian Storey, Anthony Jacobi

Brian Storey

An experimental study is presented to assess the influence of streamwise vortices on frost growth in a steady, developing, laminar channel flow. Using a simple model and scale analysis, frost growth rate (ablimation) data are normalized with respect to temperature, humidity and time. Measurements from baseline experiments in a rectangular channel are found to be accurately correlated using the proposed scaling relation. Upon introducing streamwise vortices in the channel flow, frost growth still follows the scaling relation, but local growth rates were observed to increase by more than 7% in regions where the streamwise vortices induce a surface-normal flow toward …