STEADY-STATE ICE LAYER PROFILE ON A CONSTANT TEMPERATURE PLATE IN A FORCED-CONVECTION FLOW .1. LAMINAR REGIME

The shape of the steady state ice layer that forms on a constant temperature horizontal plate in a parallel forced convection flow was analyzed. This paper, part I of a two part series, will examine phenomena that effect the shape of the ice layer in the laminar flow regime. Of particular interest are the effects of curvature of the ice surface on the free stream flow and of streamwise heat conduction in the ice layer. A two-dimensional theory developed to account for these effects suggests that a modified Reynolds number of the form Rex/θ2c where θc is a temperature ratio parameter should be used to correlate the ice profiles. It was found that measurements could be correlated over a wide range of plate temperatures, free stream temperatures and free stream velocities using this parameter. Also in the laminar regime thermal instabilities of the boundary layer were observed which produced longitudinal grooves in the ice surface. © 1979.