Why doesn’t circulating water freeze in winter?
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I’ve always wondered why circulating water doesn’t freeze in winter. I remember there used to be a theory that moving water disrupts the crystal lattice formed at low temperatures, which is why it doesn’t freeze. Does anyone have a more detailed explanation? Also, the Yellow River freezes over in winter. Why is that?
One of the reasons is that heat exchange equipment continuously supplies heat, keeping the temperature of the circulating water above zero degrees
The heat generated by the circulating water itself keeps the temperature above zero degrees. Be aware that water that does not flow in dead ends is prone to freezing; water pipes in northern regions need to be insulated to reduce heat loss
The circulating water must remain in flow; if it stops flowing, it can freeze easily. The heat exchanger is capable of absorbing heat and raising the temperature. The circulating water usually flows through underground pipes before reaching the interior, which provides good insulation. There are also requirements regarding the temperature of the incoming circulating water; in winter, it should generally be above around 10 degrees Celsius
Since it’s called circulating water, what flows within the system is water; it definitely shouldn’t be ice. In the device, circulating water is generally used for heat exchange, and it is necessary from a control perspective to keep this water within a certain appropriate temperature range. Even in winter, the management and control of circulating water prevent it from freezing due to dropping temperatures.
What if it’s winter and the car is parked? If the ambient temperature is below 0 degrees, will it freeze over after some time? But in reality, there isn’t
What about adding long-term parking? Where does the heat come from? Even with excellent insulation, the process of self-evaporation of circulating water is one in which the temperature continues to drop
Brother Fu, what I can’t understand is that heat is constantly being lost, yet there’s no freezing – could it be that the energy supplied by the pump is greater than the heat lost to the environment?
Still water freezes below zero degrees; that’s an absolute fact
Salt content and water pressure also have an impact on freezing
Generally, circulating water pipes are quite thick and buried beneath permafrost, making it difficult for them to freeze while in flow. But it’s not certain that freezing won’t occur; it depends on the specific circumstances – such as the diameter of the pipe. We’ve experienced freezing in outdoor conditions before, even though there was electric heating available; the pipes were quite thin (15 mm), and due to inadequate insulation, they would freeze even when there was flow of fluid. Be careful when parking for a long time; if it gets really cold, it will be a big problem. What is your circulating water temperature? If the temperature is too low, freezing is not far off; it usually starts to freeze in the dead corners first. With good insulation, heat dissipation is slow, but I think the energy supplied by the pump isn’t enough to compensate for the heat lost; if there’s no heat compensation over an extended period, it becomes dangerous.