Affiliation:
1. Center for Combustion Energy, Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Energy and Power Engineering Tsinghua University Beijing China
2. Institut de Mécanique des Fluides de Toulouse (IMFT) Université de Toulouse CNRS‐Toulouse France
3. Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Aerospace Engineering Tsinghua University Beijing China
Abstract
AbstractDuring the solidification of a sessile drop, the effect of heat exchange from the gaseous environmental medium is generally ignored. However, by combining experimental observations, direct numerical simulations, and a theoretical model, we have demonstrated that the environmental medium, particularly one with high thermal conductivity such as a liquid, has nonnegligible heat exchange with both the drop and the substrate, leading to accelerated cooling of the outer surface of the sessile drop. Consequently, it causes alterations in the geometry of the freezing front and ultimately results in the formation of a solidified shell that encloses the drop. Furthermore, the encapsulated liquid continues to solidify, which induces volume change and consequently changes the final outcome of the freezing process. This study highlights the importance of considering the properties of the environmental medium and provides novel strategies to manipulate the freezing rate and reshape the morphology of the solidified drop.