Effects of micro-activated carbon particles on the nucleation of supercooled distilled water

The irregular supercooling phenomenon of water in an encapsulated ice storage (ITES) system causes a decrease in the efficiency of the refrigeration system. In this study, the applicability of activated carbon (AC) particles as a nucleating agent to suppress the supercooling of water and promote freezing was experimentally evaluated. Distilled water containing AC particles was used as a specimen, and the supercooling state change of the specimen to the cooling rate and the specific surface area of the AC particles was confirmed through temperature measurements. The results showed that the degree of supercooling release in the specimens containing AC particles was related to the size of the Langmuir surface area of the AC particles. On the other hand, in the specimen containing kaolin particles, the molecular structure was found to have a greater effect on the supercooling release than the specific surface area. The results obtained from this experiment confirmed that AC particles have the potential to be used as a nucleating agent for supercooled water, that is, to suppress the supercooling of water.