Influences of Surface Characteristics on Frost Formation on Vertical Cold Plate with Electric Field

Abstract

The influences of direct current(DC) electric fields on the initial form of the frost crystal on a cold vertical plate were investigated.The photos of frost crystals formed on the plate were taken with different electric field intensities.The results show that at the initial stages of the frost formation,the stronger the electric field,the smaller the water drops formed on the cold plate.After the water drops froze completely,the formed ice columns would grow up gradually.The frost layer thickness on hydrophilic coating was lower than that on copper surface under certain electric-field intensity.The result of this study also shows that electric field leads to the frost mass increase,and the frost mass increases with the increase of the electric field intensity.