Lifetime of air bubbles detached from the freezing front during icing

Abstract

The portion of air inevitably dissolved in water will accumulate at the leading edge of the freezing front during the freezing process, nucleating to form bubbles. When the buoyant force acting on a bubble exceeds the drag force, it detaches from the freezing front to form a detached bubble. Whether these bubbles re-dissolve into the water directly influences the formation and growth of subsequent bubbles. To investigate the size variation patterns of these detached bubbles during ascent, comparative experiments and mathematical modeling are employed. Models established with over 70% accuracy indicate that the lifetime of detached bubbles is proportional to the cube of their initial radius. During ascent, the radius of detached bubbles exhibits a negative correlation with time, following a 1/3 power relationship. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of trapped air bubbles and icing mechanisms.