Particle agglomeration and properties of nanofluids

The present study demonstrates the importance of actual agglomerated particle size in the nanofluid and its effect on the fluid properties. The current work deals with 5 to 100 nm nanoparticles dispersed in fluids that resulted in 200 to 800 nm agglomerates. Particle size distributions for a range of nanofluids are measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS). Wet scanning electron microscopy method is used to visualize agglomerated particles in the dispersed state and to confirm particle size measurements by DLS. Our results show that a combination of base fluid chemistry and nanoparticle type is very important to create stable nanofluids. Several nanofluids resulted in stable state without any stabilizers, but in the long term had agglomerations of 250 % over a 2 month period. The effects of agglomeration on the thermal and rheological properties are presented for several types of nanoparticle and base fluid chemistries. Despite using nanodiamond particles with high thermal conductivity and a very sensitive laser flash thermal conductivity measurement technique, no anomalous increases of thermal conductivity was measured. The thermal conductivity increases of nanofluid with the particle concentration are as those predicted by Maxwell and Bruggeman models. The level of agglomeration of nanoparticles hardly influenced the thermal conductivity of the nanofluid. The viscosity of nanofluids increased strongly as the concentration of particle is increased; it displays shear thinning and is a strong function of the level of agglomeration. The viscosity increase is significantly above of that predicted by the Einstein model even for very small concentration of nanoparticles.     

纳米流体对流换热机理分析

考虑在纳米流体中纳米颗粒做布朗运动引起的对流换热, 基于纳米颗粒在纳米流体中遵循分形分布, 本文得到纳米流体对流换热的机理模型. 本解析模型没有增加新的经验常数, 从该模型发现纳米流体池沸腾热流密度是温度、纳米颗粒的平均直径、 纳米颗粒的浓度、纳米颗粒的分形维数、沸腾表面活化穴的分形维数、基本液体的物理特性的函数. 对不同的纳米颗粒浓度和不同的纳米颗粒平均直径与不同的实验数据进行了比较, 模型预测的结果与实验结果相吻合. 所得的解析模型可以更深刻地揭示纳米流体对流换热的物理机理.     

Experimental investigation into the pool boiling heat transfer of aqueous based γ-alumina nanofluids

This paper is concerned about pool boiling heat transfer using nanofluids, a subject of several investigations over the past few years. The work is motivated by the controversial results reported in the literature and the potential impact of nanofluids on heat transfer intensification. Systematic experiments are carried out to formulate stable aqueous based nanofluids containing γ-alumina nanoparticles (primary particle size 10–50 nm), and to investigate their heat transfer behaviour under nucleate pool boiling conditions. The results show that alumina nanofluids can significantly enhance boiling heat transfer. The enhancement increases with increasing particle concentration and reaches ∼ ∼40% at a particle loading of 1.25% by weight. Discussion of the results suggests that the reported controversies in the thermal performance of nanofluids under the nucleate pool boiling conditions be associated with the properties and behaviour of the nanofluids and boiling surface, as well as their interactions.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of thermal conductivity of Cu–Ar nanofluid using EAM potential for Cu–Cu interactions

Mechanism of heat conduction in copper-argon nanofluids is studied by molecular dynamics simulation and the thermal conductivity was obtained using the Green–Kubo method. While the interatomic potential between argon atoms is described using the well-known Lennard–Jones (L–J) potential, a more accurate embedded atom method (EAM) potential is used in describing the interatomic interaction between copper atoms. It is found that the heat current autocorrelation function obtained using L–J potential to describe the copper-copper interatomic interaction fluctuates periodically due to periodic oscillation of the instantaneous microscopic heat fluxes. Thermal conductivities of nanofluids using EAM potentials were calculated with different volume fractions but the same nanoparticle size. The results show that thermal conductivity of nanofluids are almost a linear function of the volume fraction and slightly higher than the results predicted by the conventional effective media theory for a well-dispersed solution. A solid-like base fluid liquid layer with a thickness of 0.6 nm was found in the simulation and this layer is believed to account for the small discrepancy between the results of MD simulation and the conventional effective media theory.     

Experimental investigation into the pool boiling heat transfer of aqueous based γ-alumina nanofluids

This paper is concerned about pool boiling heat transfer using nanofluids, a subject of several investigations over the past few years. The work is motivated by the controversial results reported in the literature and the potential impact of nanofluids on heat transfer intensification. Systematic experiments are carried out to formulate stable aqueous based nanofluids containing γ-alumina nanoparticles (primary particle size 10–50 nm), and to investigate their heat transfer behaviour under nucleate pool boiling conditions. The results show that alumina nanofluids can significantly enhance boiling heat transfer. The enhancement increases with increasing particle concentration and reaches ∼ ∼40% at a particle loading of 1.25% by weight. Discussion of the results suggests that the reported controversies in the thermal performance of nanofluids under the nucleate pool boiling conditions be associated with the properties and behaviour of the nanofluids and boiling surface, as well as their interactions.This revised version was published online in August 2005 with a corrected issue number.     

纳米流体传质扩散系数的测定

本文建立光学实验测试系统,测量了不同温度条件下罗丹明B在不同粒子体积份额的纳米流体(Cu-乙二醇和Cu-水)中的质扩散系数。实验结果表明;罗丹明B在纳米流体中的扩散系数大于其在基液中的扩散系数,且扩散系数随着粒子体积份额的增大而增大;当粒子体积份额一定时,扩散系数随着温度的升高而增大。     

Comparison between Experimental and Theoretical Thermal Conductivity of Nanofluids Containing Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes Decorated with TiO2 Nanoparticles

This article reports the thermal conductivity modeling of nanofluids containing decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes with TiO₂ nanoparticles. TiO₂ nanoparticles and decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes are synthesized with different amounts of TiO₂ nanoparticles. The experimental results show that the measured thermal conductivities of TiO₂ nanofluids and multi-walled carbon nanotube nanofluids are higher than the predicted values by theoretical models. The comparison results of multi-walled carbon nanotube nanofluids and multi-walled carbon nanotube–TiO₂ nanofluids reveal that the predicted values by the Xue model are closer to the measured values. In addition, the results show that the thermal conductivity of nanofluids containing multi-walled carbon nanotube–TiO₂ increases with respect to TiO₂ content of hybrid.     

基于团聚理论的纳米制冷剂导热系数预测方法

纳米流体中纳米颗粒以团聚体的形式存在.为预测纳米流体的导热系数,模拟了流体中纳米颗粒团聚体的三维空间结构并用热阻网络法计算了团聚体的导热系数.在得到团聚体的导热系数与考虑液体分子吸附层后团聚体的体积分数后,预测纳米流体的导热系数.用实验数据验证了该预测方法并运用该方法预测了铜-R22纳米制冷剂的导热系数.     

The mechanism of heat transfer in nanofluids: state of the art (<Emphasis Type="Italic">review</Emphasis>). Part 1. Synthesis and properties of nanofluids

Here is the review of experimental and theoretical results on the mechanism of heat transfer in nanofluids. A wide scope of problems related to the technology of nanofluid production, experimental equipment, and features of measurement methods is considered. Experimental data on heat conductivity of nanofluids with different concentrations, sizes, and material of nanoparticles are presented. Results on forced and free convection in laminar, and turbulent flows are analyzed. The available models of physical mechanisms of heat transfer intensification and suppression in nanofluids are presented. There are significant divergences in data of different researchers; possible reasons for this divergence are analyzed.     

Effects of thermal stratification on transient free convective flow of a nanofluid past a vertical plate

An analysis of thermal stratification in a transient free convection of nanofluids past an isothermal vertical plate is performed. Nanofluids containing nanoparticles of aluminium oxide, copper, titanium oxide and silver having volume fraction of the nanoparticles less than or equal to 0.04 with water as the base fluid are considered. The governing boundary layer equations are solved numerically. Thermal stratification effects and volume fraction of the nanoparticles on the velocity and temperature are represented graphically. It is observed that an increase in the thermal stratification parameter decreases the velocity and temperature profiles of nanofluids. An increase in the volume fraction of the nanoparticles enhances the temperature and reduces the velocity of nanofluids. Also, the influence of thermal stratification parameter and the volume fraction of the nanoparticles of local as well as average skin friction and the rate of heat transfer of nanofluids are discussed and represented graphically. The results are found to be in good agreement with the existing results in literature.     

Effect of Nanoparticles on Thermal Properties Enhancement in Different Oils – A Review

The development of stable dispersion of nanoparticles in different oils is gaining momentum for close circuit applications as most of the mineral oils used are not very good thermal conductors. The enhancement of thermal conductivity with optimum enhancement of viscosity of oil with nanoparticles poses a serious challenge for use of such fluids in cooling. Transformer oil, mineral oil, silicon oil, hydrocarbon fuels, biodiesel, and some organic solutions have been used as the base fluids for studying the effect of nanoparticles for improving thermal efficiency. Innovative heat transfer fluids are produced by suspending metallic or nonmetallic nanometer-sized solid particles. Although a large number of sources are available on water-based nanofluids, the number of such reports on oil-based nanofluids is rather limited. The aim of this article is to summarize recent developments on the preparation methods of nanofluids based on oil, its stability, thermal conductivity enhancement, nanoparticle effect on viscosity, heat transfer characteristics, breakdown voltage, dielectric properties, and applications of such nanofluids.     

Study of ionic solvent-free carbon nanotube nanofluids and its composites with epoxy matrix

A facile way to synthesis ionic solvent-free multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) (MWNTs) nanofluids has been introduced. Fourier transform infrared spectra and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were employed to study the surface structure of MWNTs in the nanofluids. The thermal property of the nanofluids was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The stability of the nanofluids in the deionized water was obtained through UV–Vis absorption spectrum. Rotary rheometer was used to test the flow feature of the nanofluids. The results of conductivity indicate that the seepage threshold value of solvent-free nanofluids in water is about 0.408 vol.% (volume fraction). Meanwhile, it is found that the ionic nanofluids dispersed well in epoxy matrix. The mechanical properties, such as bend modulus, strength and impact toughness have been improved at the same time. TEM images can tell the great dispersion of solvent-free CNTs nanofluids in the epoxy matrix. It means that this kind of nanofluids will be excellent nanofiller in the nanocomposites.     

Experimental Assessment of Latent Heat of Evaporation for Hybrid Nanofluids

Innovative use of nanoparticles in synthesis to form hybrid nanofluids is of great interest recently. This generation of nanofluids is known to improve some thermal characteristics deliberately. In the present study, evaporative behavior of hybrid nanofluids is investigated experimentally. In boiling-mode cooling systems, longer lengths of dryouts are more preferred. In this regard, enhancing the value of heat of evaporation is a target. The experiments are implemented at temperature ranging from 90 to 155?C and in the solid volume fraction range of 0–3%. It is found that the use of hybrid nanofluids to enhance the fluid stability and in consequence the fluid latent heat of evaporation (LHE) is rational just at high working pressures (higher than 400 kPa). The most effective hybrid nanofluid in this study is 2% Ag–Au, which results in max increase of 8.7% in the latent heat of evaporation.     

Studies on Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>, CuO,and TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> water-based nanofluids: A comparative approach in laminar and turbulent flow

The Prandtl number, Reynolds number and Nusselt number are functions of thermophysical properties of nanofluids, and these numbers strongly influence the convective heat transfer coefficient. The thermophysical properties vary with volumetric concentration of nanofluids. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis was performed to evaluate the effects on the performance of nanofluids due to variations of density, specific heat, thermal conductivity and viscosity, which are functions of nanoparticle volume concentration. Three metallic oxides, aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), copper oxide (CuO), and titanium dioxide (TiO₂), dispersed in water as the base fluid were studied. A convenient figure of merit, known as the Mouromtseff number, is used as a base of comparisonfor laminar and turbulent flows. The results indicated that the considered nanofluids can successfully replace water in specific applications for a single-phase forced convection flow in a tube.     

Flow boiling heat transfer of alumina nanofluids in single microchannels and the roles of nanoparticles

This study investigates flow boiling heat transfer of aqueous alumina nanofluids in single microchannels with particular focuses on the critical heat flux (CHF) and the potential dual roles played by nanoparticles, i.e., (i) modification of the heating surface through particle deposition and (ii) modification of bubble dynamics through particles suspended in the liquid phase. Low concentrations of nanofluids (0.001–0.1 vol.%) are formulated by the two-step method and the average alumina particle size is ~25 nm. Two sets of experiments are performed: (a) flow boiling of formed nanofluids in single microchannels where the effect of heating surface modification by nanoparticle deposition is apparent and (b) bubble formation in a quiescent pool of alumina nanofluids under adiabatic conditions where the role of suspended nanoparticles in the liquid phase is revealed. The flow boiling experiments reveal a modest increase in CHF by nanofluids, being higher at higher nanoparticle concentrations and higher inlet subcoolings. The bubble formation experiments show that suspended nanoparticles in the liquid phase alone can significantly affect bubble dynamics. Further discussion reveals that both roles are likely co-existent in a typical boiling system. Properly surface-promoted nanoparticles could minimize particle deposition hence little modification of the heating surface, but could still contribute to the modification in heat transfer through the second mechanism, which is potentially promising for microchannel applications.     

Investigation into the antibacterial behaviour of suspensions of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO nanofluids)

The antibacterial behaviour of suspensions of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO nanofluids) against E. Coli has been investigated. ZnO nanoparticles from two sources are used to formulate nanofluids. The effects of particle size, concentration and the use of dispersants on the antibacterial behaviour are examined. The results show that the ZnO nanofluids have bacteriostatic activity against E. coli. The antibacterial activity increases with increasing nanoparticle concentration and increases with decreasing particle size. Particle concentration is observed to be more important than particle size under the conditions of this work. The results also show that the use of two types of dispersants (Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) and Polyvinylpyrolidone (PVP)) does not affect much the antibacterial activity of ZnO nanofluids but enhances the stability of the suspensions. SEM analyses of the bacteria before and after treatment with ZnO nanofluids show that the presence of ZnO nanoparticles damages the membrane wall of the bacteria. Electrochemical measurements using a model DOPC monolayer suggest some direct interaction between ZnO nanoparticles and the bacteria membrane at high ZnO concentrations. On visiting from the Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, P.R. China.     

A model for the thermal conductivity of nanofluids – the effect of interfacial layer

A model for predicting the effective thermal conductivity of nanofluids is proposed. It has been documented that the interfacial layer at the solid (particle)/liquid interface and particle size is one of the major mechanisms for enhancing the thermal conductivity of nanofluids. Comparing with other classical models, the proposed model takes into account some additional effects including volume fraction, thickness, thermal conductivity of the interfacial layer and particle size. The proposed model is found to be better than the existing models since the predicted effective thermal conductivity of different types of nanofluids are closer to the experimental results.     

微细管碳纳米管悬浮液强制对流换热实验研究

测量了水平微细圆管内蒸馏水和不同质量浓度的水基多壁碳纳米管纳米流体在低雷诺数下的强制对流换热特性。实验结果表明,与蒸馏水相比,纳米流体的对流换热系数显著提高,且随质量浓度和管内雷诺数的增大而增大;并且研究了流体管内流动阻力特性,得到的泊肃叶数f·Re值随着雷诺数的变化不明显,但纳米流体的f·Re值要明显小于纯水。     

Fabrication, characterization, and measurement of viscosity of α-Fe2O3-glycerol nanofluids

Magnetic nanofluids, ferrofluids, are a special category of smart nanomaterials, consisting of stable dispersion of magnetic nanoparticles in different fluids. In this study, magnetic nanoparticles of hematite, α-Fe₂O₃, were prepared by solvothermal method using Fe(NO₃)₃ as a starting material. The nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electronic microscope (TEM).To the best of our knowledge, this is the first research on the rheological properties of nanofluids of α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles and glycerol. The experimental results showed that the viscosity of α-Fe₂O₃-glycerol nanofluids increases with increasing the particle volume fraction and decreases with increasing temperature. Our results clearly showed that the α-Fe₂O₃-glycerol nanofluids are non-Newtonian shear-thinning and their shear viscosity depends strongly on temperature. The experimental data were compared with some theoretical models. The measured values of the effective viscosity of nanofluids are underestimated by the theoretical models.