Air humidity effects on water-drop icing

The canonical problem of the icing of a water drop lying on a cold substrate is revisited to take into account the effects of atmospheric conditions on the icing front kinetics and on the tip formation. Here, we demonstrate both experimentally and theoretically that the air humidity induces liquid-vapor phase change at the icing droplet interface and that the associated heat transfer has a strong influence on both the icing front kinetics and the iced drop shape. The experimental results obtained in this study, as well as results from literature, compare well to a modified Stefan model accounting for the effects of humidity, showing a good agreement with the experimental data of both the front kinetics and tip angle.

Automated summary

The humidity in the air influences the kinetics of icing front and the shape of the iced drop by inducing a liquid-vapor phase change at the icing droplet interface, affecting heat transfer. Experimental results show good agreement with a modified Stefan model that considers the effects of humidity on both front kinetics and tip angle.