Spontaneous rotation of an ice disk while melting on a solid plate

Ice disks were released at the surface of a thermalisedaluminium plate. The fusion of theice creates alubricationfilm between theice disk and the plate. The situation is similar to the Leidenfrost effect reported for aliquiddroplet evaporating at the surface of a plate which temperature is above the boiling temperature of theliquid. An analogy is depicted between the Leidenfrost phenomenon and the rapid fusion of a solid at the contact of a hot plate. Similarly to Leidenfrostdroplet, we observe that, while theice disks weremelting, the disks were very mobile: translation and rotation. A hole was drilled in the plate and allowed the canalising of the meltedliquid. Under these conditions, we discover that the rotation of theice disk is systematic and persistent. Moreover, the rotation speed increases with the temperature of the plate and with the load put on theice disk. A model is proposed to explain the spontaneous rotation of theice disk. We claim that the rotation is due to theviscous drag of theliquid thatflows around theice disk.

Source: Physics of Fluids - December 6, 2016 Category: Physics Authors: S. Dorbolo, N. Vandewalle and B. Darbois Texier Source Type: research