Abstract

Purpose - This work is devoted to the experimental analysis, numerical modelling and validation of ice melting processes. Design/methodology/approach - The thermally coupled incompressible Navier-Stokes equations including water density inversion and isothermal phase-change phenomena are assumed as the governing equations of the problem. A fixed-mesh finite element formulation is proposed for the numerical solution of such model. In particular, this formulation is applied to the analysis of two different transient problems. Findings - The numerical results computed with the finite element formulation have been found to be very similar to the corresponding predictions, also obtained in this study, provided by a finite volume enthalpy-based technique. Both numerical results, in turn, satisfactorily approached the available experimental measurements expressly conducted in the context of this work for validation purposes. Research limitations/implications - They are mainly due to some model simplifications (e.g. no volume changes are considered during the solid-liquid transformation) and to the inherent difficulties associated with the experimental measurements. Practical implications - This study may be relevant for a better understanding of the phenomena occurring in different engineering applications involving phase-change in water: food freezing, ice formation in pipes, freezing/melting processes in soils, ice growth in plane wings, etc. Originality/value - The study is mainly focused on the validation of the numerical predictions obtained with the finite element formulation mentioned above with other results provided by a well-known finite volume technique and, in addition, with available laboratory measurements carried out in the context of this work. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.