Qualitative observations and measurements of free convection frost formation in vertical channels

Processes involving heat transfer from a humid air stream to a cold plate, with simultaneous deposition of frost, are of great importance in a variety of refrigeration equipment. In this work, frost growth on a cold, vertical plate in free convection has been experimentally investigated. The cold plate (height H=95 mm) was placed in a vertical channel (2.4 m high) open at the top and bottom in order to permit the natural circulation of ambient air. The channel depth S was varied (20, 10 and 6 mm) in order to infer the influence of channel flow area on the free convection frost formation