The use of ice slurries can provide significant benefits to thermal storage systems and chilled water distribution systems. Ice slurries have been used in a number of applications but there are a number of technical issues to be resolved before this technology can be widely applied in the air-conditioning industry. This work is focussed on two of the most critical issues: determining the concentration of ice in a slurry, and preventing coagulation of ice in storage tanks and piping. The results of this project will be useful to designers, researchers, and equipment manufacturers for advancing ice slurry compatible designs.

The objectives of this research project are: 1) To evaluate methods of determining the ice concentration in an ice slurry in pumped flows and storage tanks. 2) To identify the factors that lead to coagulation of ice in storage tanks and piping, and to suggest methods for preventing coagulation when storing and pumping ice slurries.

Principal Investigator: Michael Kauffeld, Danish Technological Institute

Conducted: April 2000 - Oct. 2001

Sponsored by: TC 6.9,Thermal Storage