Numerical simulations of pendant ice formations

A recently published three-dimensional morphogenetic model has been used to predict the growth of icicles and other pendant ice formations. Tn this mo del, the liquid flow is divided into a set of fluid elements, and the behav iour of each element is determined individually using a stochastic process. The model provides a numerically efficient representation of water flow al ong the ice surface, freezing of water and dripping from the lower extremit ies. Using a simple analysis, the microscopic model parameters may be expre ssed as functions of the macroscopic physical conditions. This allows the a nalysis of the ice formation process as a function of atmospheric condition s. Model verification, based on a comparison with published experimental re sults, demonstrates, quantitatively and qualitatively, the credibility and value of this modelling approach. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.