A CONTINUUM MODEL FOR THE TRANSPORT OF HEAT, MASS AND MOMENTUM IN A DEFORMABLE, MULTICOMPONENT MUSH, UNDERGOING SOLID-LIQUID PHASE-CHANGE

Motivated by a geological problem, the continuum conservation equation s governing the transport of heat, mass and momentum in a deformable m ulticomponent mush undergoing solid-liquid phase change are presented, and a one-dimensional (1-D) model of a layer heated from below invest igated numerically. The results indicate that phase transport exercise s a strong control on heat transport. The form of the spatial distribu tion of liquid depends upon the relative transport rates of heat and b uoyant liquid; a high porosity wave may develop at the top of the mixe d phase region, the amplitude of which increases with time until the c ontiguity of the solid matrix breaks down and a slurry forms. Phase co mpositions are fixed by the requirement of local thermodynamic equilib rium, and are deduced from published equilibrium phase change experime nts. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.