Collaborative Research: Ice Melting Induced by Flows in an Adjacent Immiscible Liquid Layer

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The deterioration of ice by spill contamination is a complex process that is not well understood. This research project will study the effects of convective flow and melt layer film on the melting dynamics of an ice wall in contact with a heated oil. Such situations would be encountered during an oil spill event in the Arctic regions when the oil layer absorbs heat from the Sun or from flames if the oil is burning. The heat absorption will cause different melt patterns and carve out lateral cavities inside the ice wall. At a large scale, this process can cause a shift in the structure and geology of floating ice blocks and thereby impact the Arctic ecosystem in unanticipated ways. This research project will address this knowledge gap through a series of experiments that use imaging and tracking methods to analyze the ice melting process. The project researchers will also create project-based learning opportunities for juniors and seniors at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a new graduate-level course at the University of Notre Dame.The research project investigates the fundamental science underlying the interaction of an immiscible liquid with ice. Previous studies on the melting of sea ice have considered parameters such as salinity and natural convection in the water to understand the fluid dynamics and heat transfer aspects of melting. However, ice melting by an oil layer is significantly different because of the characteristics of oil that influence the heat transfer pathways substantially. For example, the immiscibility of oil layer with water and presence of the gas-phase brings about interfacial forces that change the fluid flow and heat transfer dynamics. The induced convective patterns in the liquid layer by addition of interfacial forces to the existing buoyancy flows will cause unique flow patterns that impact the ice melting. Therefore, the scientific understanding of fluid flow and heat transfer pathways in the oil layer is required to predict oil-ice interaction and melting rates. Identification of the controlling mechanisms governing the convective flows will be achieved through the novel use of luminescence imaging techniques combined with particle tracking velocimetry. These experimental approaches will give spatiotemporal information on fluid transport and temperature. The knowledge obtained from this study will be pivotal in developing numerical models that address melting phenomena.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.