Modeling of frost formation over parallel cold plates

This paper numerically evaluates some of the parameters involved in modeling the process of frost formation on flat cold surfaces subject to the flow of humid air. The model employs one-dimensional transient formulation based upon the local volume averaging technique. The modeling process was validated by comparison with available experimental data. Numerical experiments were realized to determine the best initial values of the diffusivity, initial radius and geometry of the ice crystals. This model was applied to the known case of how of humid air over a single flat cold plate to predict the frost temperature, density and thickness distribution along the flow direction and also the void fraction. The results were compared with available results in the literature. The model was then extended to solve the case of flow of humid air between two parallel cold plates for which there are no available results. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd and IIR. All rights reserved.