Experimental research on frost growth in high-temperature environments and implications for energy efficiency

Reducing frost formation in cryogenic systems is crucial for minimizing energy and economic costs. Traditional studies on frost formation have typically been conducted in open or controlled environments with constant temperature (0 °C–30 °C) and humidity, which are not directly applicable to cryogenic systems operating in high-temperature settings. This paper experimentally investigates frost growth on finned-tube surfaces in high-temperature and closed environments, analyzing its temporal variation and assessing the impact of environmental parameters on frost growth. The results show that reducing indoor absolute humidity directly decreases the driving force for frost growth, while increasing indoor heat inhibits ice nuclei formation. Specifically, a reduction of 1.9 g/m3 in absolute humidity leads to a 23.2 % decrease in frost accumulation, and a 2 kW increase in heater power reduces frost accumulation by 26.9 %. The nitrogen cooling capacity at the system outlet increases linearly with frost growth, while the accumulated energy loss increases exponentially. When the frost mass reaches 66.4 g (t = 600 s), the cumulative energy loss is 42 kJ. As the frost mass increases to 87.7 g (t = 1800 s), the cumulative energy loss is 233 kJ, leading to exponential economic losses. Optimizing conditions to limit frost formation can help develop more sustainable cryogenic systems, advancing resource conservation and improving energy efficiency.