Seawater Flow-Freezing Characteristics in Open Container Injection Under Low-Temperature Conditions
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The phenomenon of seawater flow-freezing exists during ballast water injection and drainage in polar vessels, but the heat transfer and ice evolution behaviors under low-temperature flow conditions remain unclear. This study developed a computational model for ballast tank freezing using the volume of fluid (VOF) and enthalpy–porosity method, and constructed a scaled experimental platform for the simulation model validation. Based on this model, the flow-heat transfer and ice evolution process in the ballast tank are analyzed in detail, with a focus on the influence of injection velocity, pipe diameter, and position on seawater freezing characteristics. The results show that during low-temperature water injection, phase change occurs preferentially in the tank bottom region, with ice presenting as a slurry morphology; when injection velocity increases from 0.25 m/s to 3.5 m/s, the maximum ice-phase volume fraction increases by 48.9%, indicating faster flow accelerates phase-change freezing; compared to other diameters, DN150 piping exhibits the highest turbulent kinetic energy (0.054 m2/s2) and the maximum shear stress (12.49 Pa), demonstrating optimal freezing resistance; compared to bottom injection, sidewall injection intensifies heat transfer/icing near tank walls and increases ice-clogging risk around ports. This study reveals intrinsic mechanisms of dynamic ice-blockage evolution, providing theoretical basis for anti-clogging design in polar ship systems.
DOI: 10.3390/jmse13122289
Authors: Yuhao Fan, Bei Peng, Puyu Jiang, Jiahui Ren, Yuesen Lin, Longlong Gao, Baoren Li
Language: English
Subfield: Aerospace Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
OpenAlex ID: W4416917136