Variation of Frost Roughness on a Flat Plate Under Forced Convection

Abstract Experiments were conducted on a cold flat aluminum plate to characterize the variation of frost roughness over both time and location on the surfaces. The testing conditions included air temperatures from 8 to 16 °C, wall temperatures from −20 to −10 °C, relative humidities from 60 to 80%, and air velocities from 0.5 to 2.5 m/s. Each test lasted 2 h. A 3D photogrammetric method was employed to measure the variation in frost root-mean-square height and skewness by location and time. These data were used to develop the equivalent sand-grain roughness for the frost at different locations and time. The experimental results showed that frost roughness varied by location and changed with time. For the environmental conditions in this study, relative humidity and air temperature were the most important factors determining changes in the peak frost roughness. For example, at an air temperature of 12 °C and a surface temperature of −15 °C, the frost roughness peaked at about 40 min for a relative humidity of 80% and 90 min for a relative humidity of 60%. Empirical correlations were provided to describe the relationships between the environmental conditions and the appearance of the peak frost roughness.