Water film solidification

Solidification of water is present in many situations, from the formation of frost and ice in natural flows, to the icing of structures such as airplane wings, of crucial importance for flight safety. Here, we study experimentally ice formation by flowing of a water film on a cold substrate. The experience consists in a closed loop where water flows down a plate cooled by a cryostat. We analyse the influence of inlet water and plate temperatures, water flow rate, and plate inclination on the mechanism of freezing. According to previous works, we expect to observe a first step of ice growing on the substrate and then a stationary stage where ice will isolate the flowing water from the cold plate. Finally, this experience will also help to characterize the wettability of water on ice.