Influence of a heat flux to ice adhesion force.

The secondary working fluid ice slurry is a solution of water, a freezing point reducing additive like ethanol, glycol or salt and small ice particles. The small ice particles are generated in ice slurry generators. The most commonly used ice slurry generator is the scraped surface ice slurry generator, where ice particles grow on a wall of a heat exchanger. After a growth time the particles are scraped off with a scraper, brush or an orbiting rod. Substantial motor power is required for the scraper in order to peel off the interfacial bonding between the ice particle and the heat exchanger surface. The whole power converts into heat in the ice slurry system and therefore necessitates a higher cooling capacity.
The adhesion force between the ice particle and the heat exchanger wall can be reduced with a periodic high heat flux into the interlayer of the bonding. For this research a new method to measure the adhesion force between ice and an aluminum surface during the application of a heat flux was designed and a test rig was built. The method of measurement is shown in the paper. The results of the adhesion force without a heat flux are compared with literature values.