Transient freezing of water between two parallel plates: A combined experimental and modelling study

•A laser-based method is developed to measure ice thickness and water velocity simultaneously•Heat losses and solidification rates are investigated during transient forced-convection freezing•The quasi-linear ice thickness growth is balanced by the temperature decrease of the plate•Symmetric velocity profiles are recorded along the spanwise length during freezing•A 1-D transient freezing model, able to predict growth profiles, rates and lag times, is developed