Solidification within a spherical enclosure including effects of natural convection

Abstract

This article investigates the thermal performance of the solidification process within a spherical enclosure including effects of natural convection. First, an experimental apparatus utilizing a copper ball filled with octadecane was designed and constructed. Experimental data of temperature profiles was obtained using different coolant temperatures (20, 10, and 0°C), and a numerical analysis using the finite-element method was developed to solve natural-conveclive heat transfer problems with phase change to predict the temperature distribution and phase-front location variation with time. For the solidification process there is substantial agreement between the predictions and the experimental values when initial superheating and lower solidification temperatures exist.