Study of the Water Atomization Process at Subzero Temperatures as a Prototype of an Artificial Snowmaking System and Freezing of Fine Water Droplets in a Cold Laboratory

The article presents the results of an experiment studying the behavior of fine water droplets generated by a high-pressure compressor system (20 atm) with a specialized nozzle in a refrigeration chamber (−5 °C). It was found that when warm water is supplied, droplet evaporation predominates over crystallization. The physical mechanisms affecting phase transitions are analyzed, and the use of this system as a model of an artificial snowmaking device with the ability to adjust parameters and estimate evaporation losses is discussed. The specifics of freezing fine water droplets in a cold laboratory are also considered. Mechanisms of ice nucleation of fine water droplets in the volume of cooled oil are investigated. Such studies are important for understanding atmospheric processes and precipitation dynamics, as well as nucleation processes occurring, among other things, in unfrozen water during spray-snowmaking (e.g., on ski slopes). The experimental methods used and the results obtained make it possible to deepen knowledge of homogeneous and heterogeneous freezing of water under environmental conditions.