An analytical study of frost nucleation and growth during the crystal growth period

An analytical study was made to clarify the fundamental nature of the early stage of crystal growth period of frost formation phenomena. A suitable model was developed by using the principles of crystallization and nucleation theory. The effect of four dominant parameters of frost formation; plate temperature, air temperature, air humidity ratio and Reynolds number, was studied. Ice crystal density variation with temperature reported by cloud physicists is used in the model to predict the density variation of frost during the crystal growth period. The temperature variation in the frost layer is formulated and vapor diffusion through the frost layer is taken in the consideration.