A lattice Boltzmann model for solidification of water droplet on cold flat plate

• A 2-D lattice Boltzmann model for solidification of water droplet is proposed.
• The influence of cold flat plate temperatures on solidification process is studied.
• Temperature distributions and solid phase variations in droplet are obtained.
• The shape of solid phase in freezing can also be predicted.

Since the solidification of water droplet is the initial and essential process in the whole process of frosting, a model is developed by the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) that applies the velocity and temperature distribution functions to investigate the solidification process of water droplet on cold flat plate. The thermal transport and liquid–solid phase transition in the present model are both based on the pseudo-potential model combined with the enthalpy formation. By this LB model, the solidification process is simulated in form of temperature and solid phase variations in water droplet on cold flat plate, and the shape of solid phase in freezing can also be predicted. In addition, we apply the present LB model to preliminarily study the frost formation process. Numerical results agree well with our experimental data.