A Study on Supercooling Characteristics of Clathrate Compounds with Concentration of TMA

Abstract

Ice storage system that water is used as low temperature latent heat storage material, refrigerator capacity is increased and COP is decreased because refrigerator is operated at low temperature due to supercooling of water in the course of phase change from solid to liquid. This study is investigated the cooling characteristics of the TMA-water clathrate compound including TMA (Tri-methyl-amine, (CH3)3N) of 20~25 wt% as a low temperature latent heat storage material at -5°C, cooling source temperature. The results showed that the phase change temperature, the specific heat is increased and the supercooling degree is decreased as the weight concentration of TMA became higher. Especially, low temperature latent heat storage material containing TMA 25 wt% has the average of phase change temperature of 5.8°C, supercooling degree of 8.0°C and specific heat of 4.099kJ/kgK in the cooling process. Phase change temperature higher than that of water and inhibitory effect against supercooling can be confirmed through experimental study on cooling characteristics of TMA-water clathrate compound.