Freezing of Liquid-Saturated Porous Media

Abstract

The paper reports on an experimental and analytical study of freezing of a liquid-saturated porous medium. Experiments have been performed in a cylindrical capsule cooled from the outside and oriented vertically and horizontally to obtain quantitative temperature distribution and fusion front motion and shape data. Different-size glass and aluminum spherical beads were used for the porous medium, and distilled water was used as the phase-change material. A mathematical model, based on a one-dimensional analysis which considered heat conduction as the only mode of heat transfer in both the solid and liquid regions, has been developed and sensitivity studies have been carried out. Comparison of experimental data with predictions of the solid–liquid interface position and temperature distribution shows good agreement and thus confirms the mathematical model for a system of glass beads and water. However, for a system of aluminum beads and water the thermophysical property model is inadequate, and agreement between predictions and data is relatively poor.