Effect of centrifugal force on condensation frosting on a rotating plate in a sealed chamber

Frosting phenomenon occurs in rotating surfaces, such as the blades in wind-driven generators, causing significant damage. However, studies on the condensation frosting process under the influence of centrifugal force are limited. This paper aims to experimentally investigate the effects of centrifugal force on the condensation frosting characteristics of a horizontally rotating plate under natural convection. The results show that an increase in centrifugal force facilitates both the droplet condensation and solidification process. As the centrifugal acceleration increases from 0 to 11.8 m/s², the droplet condensation growth duration decreases from 279 s to 72 s, decreasing by 74.2 %. Concurrently, the freezing wave area areal propagation velocity in the inner region of the cold plate increases from 2.47 × 10⁴ μm²/s to 17.68 × 10⁴ μm²/s, increasing by 615.8 %. Notably, the large droplets affected by plate edge tend to move inward due to inertia, which further expands the edge region. Moreover, the centrifugal force promotes both the growth and collapse of frost crystals, resulting in the maximum thickness of the frost layer being observed at a medium level of centrifugal acceleration. The findings may contribute to the advancement of anti-frosting technologies applicable to engineering scenarios where centrifugal forces are present.