A solidification process with free convection of water in an elliptical enclosure

The solidification process of water inside an elliptical enclosure is investigated using the finite element method based on a fixed grid scheme. The latent heat effect is simulated using the apparent capacity method, and the natural convection flow of water during the solidification is considered. Calculations are made for the rate of change of average water temperature and required time for solidification to complete for difference initial temperatures of water, ellipse's aspect ratios, and inclinations of the ellipse. The results indicate that solidification time is considerably decreased with increasing the aspect ratio of the ellipse, but the inclination has a negligible effect on the solidification process. High resolution capturing of the solid/liquid moving interface and the details of temperature contours and flow field evaluations are presented. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.