Frost initially grows by a process known as condensation frosting, where supercooled dew nucleates on a surface and subsequently freezes into ice. For surfaces that are at least partially non-wetting, condensation frosting manifests itself as inter-droplet ice bridges that connect frozen condensate to neighboring liquid condensate in a chain reaction. First, we develop scaling laws that rationalize the dynamics of the inter-droplet ice bridging events. Second, a universal scaling law captures the extent of a dry zone that stabilizes about the perimeter of an isolated frozen droplet in the absence of ice bridging. Finally, a scaling law and numerical model are used to optimize a passive anti-frosting surface comprised of a dilute array of ice stripes that promote overlapping dry zones.

Physics of condensation frosting

2019 Fall National Meeting

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