Time-dependent behavior of different ice slurries during storage

• Published in: International journal of refrigeration Vol. 28; no. 1; pp. 27 - 36
• Main Authors: Pronk, P., Hansen, T.M., Ferreira, C.A. Infante, Witkamp, G.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 2005
• Subjects: Accumulation thermique; Aqueous solution; Chlorure de sodium; Coulis de glace; Croissance; Ethanol; Ethylene glycol; Ethylène glycol; Frigoporteur diphasique; Growth; Ice slurry; Particle; Particule; Propylene glycol; Propylène glycol; Sodium chloride; Solution aqueuse; Storage; Two-phase secondary refrigerant; Ethylene glycol; Propylene glycol; Particule; Solution aqueuse; Ethanol; Growth; Frigoporteur diphasique; Ethylène glycol; Sodium chloride; Particle; Two-phase secondary refrigerant; Storage; Coulis de glace; Accumulation thermique; Croissance; Aqueous solution; Ice slurry; Chlorure de sodium; Propylène glycol
• ISSN: 0140-7007; 1879-2081
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2004.07.011

One of the main advantages of ice slurry as secondary refrigerant is the possibility of cold storage, which enables load shifting and peak shaving. During cold storage, ice crystals are subject to mechanisms as attrition, agglomeration and Ostwald ripening causing changes in the crystal size distribution, which are of great importance for ice slurry systems since they influence other parameters such as pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics. Storage experiments with ice crystals in aqueous solutions of sodium chloride, ethylene glycol, ethanol and propylene glycol show that Ostwald ripening is the most important mechanism inducing an increase in average crystal size. The ripening rate strongly decreases as the solute concentration increases and the type of solute and the mixing regime also play an important role. The different ripening rates are caused by the fact that crystal growth and dissolution by means of Ostwald ripening are mainly limited by surface integration kinetics at low concentrations and by mass transfer at high solute concentrations.