Rotation of a ice disc during the melting on a solid plate

TL;DR

This study investigates the spontaneous rotation of melting ice discs on a hot plate, attributing the motion to viscous entrainment in a lubrication film similar to the Leidenfrost effect.

Contribution

It introduces a model explaining ice disc rotation driven by viscous entrainment during melting, extending understanding of fluid-structure interactions in phase change phenomena.

Findings

Rotation speed increases with plate temperature

Rotation speed increases with load on the ice disc

The rotation mechanism is linked to viscous entrainment in the lubrication film

Abstract

Ice discs were released at the surface of a thermalized aluminium plate. The fusion of the ice creates a lubrication film between the ice disc and the plate. The disc becomes very mobile. The situation is isomorphe to the Leidenfrost effect reported for liquid droplet evaporating at the surface of a plate which temperature is over the boiling temperature of the liquid. For the ice discs, we observe that, while the ice discs were melting, they were rotating. The ice disc rotates starts rotating. The rotation speed increases with the temperature of the plate and with the load put on the ice disc. A model is proposed to explain the spontaneous rotation of the ice disc. We claim that the rotation is due to the viscous entrainment of the ice disc by the liquid that flows around the ice disc.