Numerical Simulation of Ice Cover Growth in Water Bodies Based on the Equivalent Heat Capacity Method

GUO Yaxun; LI Xing; ZHANG Qing

doi:10.21656/1000-0887.460151

Volume 47 Issue 4

Apr. 2026

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Article Navigation > Applied Mathematics and Mechanics > 2026 > 47(4): 404-414

GUO Yaxun, LI Xing, ZHANG Qing. Numerical Simulation of Ice Cover Growth in Water Bodies Based on the Equivalent Heat Capacity Method[J]. Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, 2026, 47(4): 404-414. doi: 10.21656/1000-0887.460151

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Numerical Simulation of Ice Cover Growth in Water Bodies Based on the Equivalent Heat Capacity Method

doi: 10.21656/1000-0887.460151

GUO Yaxun¹,
LI Xing²,
ZHANG Qing^{1
,
,}

1. School of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, P.R.China;;
2. College of Civil Engineering, Hexi University, Zhangye, Gansu 734000, P.R.China

Funds:

The National Science Foundation of China(12472200)

Received Date: 2025-08-26
Rev Recd Date: 2025-10-12

Available Online: 2026-04-30

Abstract

Abstract

In cold regions, the formation of ice covers over water bodies during winter is a common phenomenon. The continuous growth of ice covers significantly impacts human activities, making it practically important to understand and predict ice growth behavior for the prevention of ice-related hazards. Ice cover growth is influenced by multiple factors, and the underlying mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated. To investigate the complexity of ice cover growth, a finite element computational model was established, and the equivalent heat capacity method was employed to numerically simulate the ice growth process. The accuracy of the proposed model and method was validated through comparison with experimental data. A comparative analysis was conducted between numerical results considering and neglecting natural convection. Furthermore, both the proposed method and the freezing degree-day method were applied to estimate the ice thickness at a specific cross section of the Songhua River. The root mean square errors of the 2 methods were provided, further confirming the effectiveness of the equivalent heat capacity method in real river environments. The results demonstrate that, the established computational model and the numerical approach can effectively represent physical processes such as heat transfer and fluid motion, and handle water-ice phase transition problems. This study provides an effective method for simulating ice cover growth under multi-physics coupling effects.
- ice cover,
- growth process,
- numerical simulation,
- equivalent heat capacity method,
- multi-physics coupling

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References(23)

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