Thermal and rheological characteristics of CuO–Base oil nanofluid flow inside a circular tube

In the present experimental investigation, stable CuO–Base oil nanofluids with different particle weight fractions of 0.2% to 2% are prepared. Then, these fluids are used for heat transfer measurements as well as rheological behavior investigation. Density, thermal conductivities, viscosities and specific heat capacities of base fluid and all nanofluids at different temperatures are measured and the effect of nanoparticles concentration on fluid properties is investigated. Also, heat transfer characteristics of CuO–Base oil nanofluids laminar flow in a smooth tube under constant heat flux are studied experimentally. Experimental results clearly indicate that addition of nanoparticles into the base fluid enhances the thermal conductivity of the fluid and the enhancement increases with increasing of particle concentration. For the particle concentrations tested, nanofluids exhibit Newtonian behavior. It is observed that the dynamic viscosity substantially increases with the increase in nanoparticle concentration and this increase is more pronounced at the lower temperatures of the nanofluid. The specific heat capacity of nanofluids is significantly less than that of base fluid and it is decreased with the increase in nanofluid concentration. The results show that for a specific nanoparticle concentration, there is an increase in heat transfer coefficient of nanofluid flow compared to pure oil flow. A maximum increase of 12.7% in Heat Transfer coefficient was observed for 2 wt.% nanofluid at the highest Reynolds number studied in this investigation. Furthermore, heat transfer coefficients obtained using experimental fluid properties are compared to those obtained using the existing theoretical models for fluid properties.     

An experimental study on viscosity of alumina-engine oil: Effects of temperature and nanoparticles concentration

In the present study, the dynamic viscosity of alumina-engine oil nanofluid in different solid volume fractions and temperatures was experimentally investigated. The nanofluid samples were prepared in the solid volume fractions of 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, 1%, 1.5% and 2% under the temperature range of 5 to 65 °C. The measurements were carried out by CAP 2000 + Viscometer, supplied by Brookfield of the USA. Using the experimental data, new correlations for predicting the dynamic viscosity of alumina-engine oil at different temperatures were proposed. The experiment results at different shear rates showed that all nanofluid samples exhibit the Newtonian behavior. The results also revealed that the viscosity of the nanofluid increases with the solid volume fraction. Moreover, it has been found that with increasing temperature, the viscosity of nanofluids decreases, and it was more tangible at the lower temperatures. The comparison between experimental findings and theoretical models showed that these models failed to predict the correct values of the viscosity of the nanofluids at all solid volume fractions. The experimental data also indicated that the maximum viscosity enhancement of nanofluid was 132% compared with that of base fluid.     

Optimization of laminar pipe flow using nanoparticle liquid suspensions for cooling applications

Heat transfer of nanoparticle suspensions in laminar pipe flow is studied theoretically. The main idea upon which this work is based is that nanofluids behave more like single-phase fluids than like conventional solid?liquid mixtures. This assumption implies that all the heat transfer and friction factor correlations available in the literature for single-phase flows can be extended to nanoparticle suspensions, provided that the thermophysical properties appearing in them are the nanofluid effective properties calculated at the reference temperature. In this regard, two empirical equations, based on a wide variety of experimental data reported in the literature, are used for the evaluation of the nanofluid effective thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity. Conversely, the other effective properties are computed by the traditional mixing theory. The novelty of the present study is that the merits of nanofluids with respect to the corresponding base liquid are evaluated in terms of global energetic performance, and not simply by the common point of view of the heat transfer enhancement. Both cases of constant pumping power and constant heat transfer rate are investigated for different operating conditions, nanoparticle diameters, and solid?liquid combinations. The fundamental result obtained is the existence of an optimal particle loading for either maximum heat transfer at constant driving power or minimum cost of operation at constant heat transfer rate. In particular, for any assigned combination of solid and liquid phases, it is found that the optimal concentration of suspended nanoparticles for maximum heat transfer is only slightly higher than that for minimum cost of operation. These optimal concentrations increase as the nanofluid bulk temperature is increased, the length-to-diameter ratio of the pipe is decreased, and the Reynolds number of the base fluid is increased. Moreover, the optimal concentrations increase with increasing the nanoparticle average size at high bulk temperatures, whilst they are practically independent of the nanoparticle diameter at lower bulk temperatures.     

Experimental investigation on the thermal conductivity and shear viscosity of viscoelastic-fluid-based nanofluids

Viscoelastic-fluid-based nanofluids with dispersion of copper (Cu) nanoparticles in viscoelastic surfactant solution (aqueous solution of cetyltrimethylammonium chloride/sodium salicylate) were prepared. A comparative study of thermal conductivity and viscosity between viscoelastic-fluid-based Cu nanofluids and distilled water based nanofluids was then performed experimentally. Different concentrations of viscoelastic base fluid and volume fraction of Cu nanoparticles were matched in order to check their influences on fluid’s thermal conductivity and viscosity. The experimental results show that the viscoelastic-fluid-based Cu nanofluids have a higher thermal conductivity than viscoelastic base fluid, and its thermal conductivity increases with increasing temperature and increasing particle volume fraction. Furthermore, the viscoelastic-fluid-based Cu nanofluid shows a non-Newtonian behavior in its viscosity, and the viscosity increases with the increase of Cu nanoparticle concentration and decrease of temperature.     

Experimental determination of thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity of Ag–MgO/water hybrid nanofluid

The main goal of this experimental work is to investigate the effect of nanoparticle volume fraction on thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity of Ag–MgO/water hybrid nanofluid with the particle diameter of 40(MgO) and 25(Ag) nm and nanoparticle volume fraction (50% Ag and 50% MgO by volume) range between 0% and 2% and presenting new correlations. Several existing theoretical and empirical correlations for thermal conductivity (four correlations) and dynamic viscosity (five correlations) of nanofluids have been examined for their accuracy in predicting the value of thermodynamics properties by comparing the predicted values with experimental data. The examined correlations were found to present inaccuracies (under predictions) in the range of nanoparticle volume fraction under study. Predictions of the new developed correlations by comparing the predicted values with experimental data showed that the new correlations are within a very good accuracy.     

Heat transfer features of buoyancy-driven nanofluids inside rectangular enclosures differentially heated at the sidewalls

The heat transfer features of buoyancy-driven nanofluids inside rectangular enclosures differentially heated at the vertical walls, are investigated theoretically. The main idea upon which the present work is based is that nanofluids behave more like a single-phase fluid rather than a conventional solid–liquid mixture, which implies that all the convective heat transfer correlations available for single-phase flows can be extended to nanoparticle suspensions, provided that the thermophysical properties appearing in them are the nanofluid effective properties calculated at the reference temperature. In this connection, two empirical equations, based on a wide variety of experimental data reported in the literature, are developed for the evaluation of the nanofluid effective thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity, whereas the other effective properties are evaluated by the conventional mixing theory. The heat transfer enhancement across the differentially heated enclosure that derives from the dispersion of nano-sized solid particles into a host liquid is calculated for different operating conditions, nanoparticle diameters, combinations of suspended nanoparticles and base liquid, and cavity aspect ratios. The fundamental result obtained is the existence of an optimal particle loading for maximum heat transfer. Specifically, for any assigned combination of solid and liquid phases, the optimal volume fraction is found to increase slightly with decreasing the nanoparticle size, and to increase much more remarkably with increasing both the nanofluid average temperature and the slenderness of the enclosure.     

Effect of temperature and mass fraction on viscosity of crude oil-based nanofluids containing oxide nanoparticles

In this study the effects of various oxide nanoparticles on viscosity of crude oil-based nanofluid were investigated. Furthermore, the effects of temperature and mass fraction of TiO₂, NiO, Fe₂O₃, ZnO and WO₃ nanoparticles on relative viscosity of nanofluid were studied. The morphology and stability of nanoparticles were characterized by using TEM and DLS analysis. The results of characterization showed that the average nanoparticle diameter ranged from 10 to 40 nm for different oxide nanoparticles. Also the results of experiments showed that with the increment of temperature the ratio of the nanofluid viscosity to basefluid declined. Moreover, for nanofluid containing nanoparticles with higher density the relative viscosity increases significantly and with the temperature enhancement higher than 50 °C the values of relative viscosities are less than unity declaring a lower viscosity of nanofluids with respect to basefluid. Finally, an empirical correlation comprising nanoparticle density, temperature, and mass fraction was obtained based on regression analysis for estimation of relative viscosity of nanofluid. The results exhibited that the deviation of the correlation from the experimental values was mostly less than 20% and the results of other researchers agree well with the data predicted by the correlation of this study.     

Comparison between single-phase and two-phases CFD modeling of laminar forced convection flow of nanofluids in a circular tube under constant heat flux

In this article, forced convection heat transfer with laminar and developed flow for water-Al₂O₃ nanofluid inside a circular tube under constant heat flux from the wall was numerically investigated using computational fluid dynamics method. Both single and two-phase models are accomplished for either constant or temperature dependent properties. For this study nanofluids with size particles equal to 100 nm and particle concentrations of 1 and 4 wt% were used. It is observed that the nanoparticles when dispersed in base fluid such as water enhance the convective heat transfer coefficient. The Nusselt number and heat transfer coefficient of nanofluids were obtained for different nanoparticle concentrations and various Reynolds numbers. Heat transfer was enhanced by increasing the concentration of nanoparticles in nanofluid and Reynolds number. Also, a correlation based on the dimensionless numbers was obtained for the prediction the Nusselt number. The modeling results showed that the predicted values were in very good agreement with reference experimental data.     

Buoyancy-Induced Convection of Alumina-Water Nanofluids in Laterally Heated Vertical Slender Cavities

A two-phase model based on the double-diffusive approach is used to perform a numerical study of natural convection of alumina-water nanofluids in differentially heated vertical slender cavities. In the mathematical formulation, Brownian diffusion and thermophoresis are assumed to be the only slip mechanisms by which the solid phase can develop a significant relative velocity with respect to the liquid phase. The system of the governing equations of continuity, momentum and energy for the nanofluid, and continuity for the nanoparticles is solved through a computational code relying on the SIMPLE-C algorithm for the pressure-velocity coupling. The effective thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity of the nanofluid, and the coefficient of thermophoretic diffusion of the suspended solid phase, are evaluated using three empirical correlations based on a high number of experimental data available from diverse sources, and validated by way of literature data different from those used in generating them. Numerical simulations are executed for different height-to-width aspect ratios of the enclosure, as well as different average temperatures of the nanofluid. The heat transfer performance of the nanoparticle suspension relative to that of the base fluid is found to increase as the nanofluid average temperature is increased and, at low to moderate temperatures, the aspect ratio of the enclosure is decreased. Moreover, at temperatures higher than room temperature, a peak at an optimal particle loading is found to exist for any investigated configuration.     

Effect of thermophysical properties models on the predicting of the convective heat transfer coefficient for low concentration nanofluid

The term of nanofluid refers to a solid–liquid mixture with a continuous phase which is a nanometer sized nanoparticle dispersed in conventional base fluids. In order to study the heat transfer behavior of the nanofluids, precise values of thermal and physical properties such as specific heat, viscosity and thermal conductivity of the nanofluids are required. There are a few well-known correlations for predicting the thermal and physical properties of nanofluids which are often cited by researchers to calculate the convective heat transfer behaviors of the nanofluids. Each researcher has used different models of the thermophysical properties in their works. This article aims to summarize the various models for predicting the thermophysical properties of nanofluids which have been commonly cited by a number of researchers and use them to calculate the experimental convective heat transfer coefficient of the nanofluid flowing in a double-tube counter flow heat exchanger. The effects of these models on the predicted value of the convective heat transfer of nanofluid with low nanoparticle concentration are discussed in detail.     

Temperature effects on the enhanced or deteriorated buoyancy-driven heat transfer in differentially heated enclosures filled with nanofluids

ABSTRACT

A two-phase model based on the double-diffusive approach is used to perform a numerical study of natural convection in differentially heated vertical cavities filled with water-based nanofluids, assuming that Brownian diffusion and thermophoresis are the only slip mechanisms by which the solid phase can develop a significant relative velocity with respect to the liquid phase. The system of the governing equations of continuity, momentum, and energy for the nanofluid, and continuity for the nanoparticles, is solved through a computational code, which incorporates three empirical correlations for the evaluation of the effective thermal conductivity, the effective dynamic viscosity, and the thermophoretic diffusion coefficient, all based on the literature experimental data. The pressure–velocity coupling is handled using the SIMPLE-C algorithm. Numerical simulations are executed for three different nanofluids, using the diameter and the average volume fraction of the suspended nanoparticles, as well as the cavity width, the average temperature of the nanofluid, and the temperature difference imposed across the cavity, as independent variables. It is found that the heat transfer performance of the nanofluid relative to that of the base fluid increases notably with increasing the average temperature, showing a peak at an optimal particle loading. Conversely, the other controlling parameters have moderate effects.     

Dynamic viscosity of MWCNT/ZnO–engine oil hybrid nanofluid: An experimental investigation and new correlation in different temperatures and solid concentrations

The major objective of the present study was to investigate the dynamic viscosity of MWCNT/ZnO–engine oil hybrid nanofluid. The experiments carried out in different temperatures ranging from 5 °C to 55 °C and solid concentrations ranging from, 0.125% to 1%. The viscosity of the MWCNT/ZnO nanoparticle with the mean diameter of 30 nm dispersed in engine oil was measured using Brookfield cone and plate viscometer. The effect of temperature and solid concentration on dynamic viscosity of the nanofluid has been experimentally investigated. The results indicated that increasing the temperature resulted in decreasing the dynamic viscosity of the nanofluid by 85% while the dynamic viscosity increased as the solid concentration increased by 45%. Furthermore, based on the experimental data, a new model to predict the dynamic viscosity of the studied nanofluid has been proposed.     

On the Viscosity of Ag/Oil Based Nanofluids: A Correlation

An oil based nanofluid including silver as to be nanoparticles was created by EEW method as a one‐step method in three different volume fractions have been experimentally studied. Assessing the stability and viscosity of the nanofluids was involved in this work. The results show that the nanofluids behave in both of Newtonian and non‐Newtonian in different volume concentrations. Also, an enhancement in viscosity of nanofluids has been recognized. In addition, based on the experimental results of this study and the other previous published studies on the oil based nanofluids, a correlation for predicting viscosity of oil based nanofluids has been developed and a good agreement between the experimental viscosity of applied nanofluids in this study and the predicted one has been achieved.     

Numerical Study of Turbulent Flow and Heat Transfer of Nanofluids in Pipes

In this work, Nusselt number and friction factor are calculated numerically for turbulent pipe flow (Reynolds number between 6000 and 12000) with constant heat flux boundary condition using nanofluids. The nanofluid is modeled with the single-phase approach and the simulation results are compared with correlations from experimental data. Ethylene glycol and water, 60:40 EG/W mass ratio, as base fluid and SiO₂ nanoparticles are used as nanofluid with particle volume concentrations ranging from 0% to 10%. Nusselt number predictions for the nanofluid are in agreement with experimental results and a conventional single-phase correlation. The mean deviation is in the range of ?5%. Friction factor values show a mean deviation of 0.5% to a conventional single-phase correlation, however, they differ considerably from the nanofluid experimental data. The results indicate that the nanofluid requires more pumping power than the base fluid for high particle concentrations and Reynolds numbers on the basis of equal heat transfer rate.     

Numerical Investigation on Conjugate Heat Transfer Performance of Microchannel Using Sphericity-Based Gold and Carbon Nanoparticles

Numerical study has been carried out on the laminar forced convection flow of nanofluids in a wide rectangular microchannel. The flow and heat transfer characteristics of gold and of single-walled carbon (SWCNT) nanofluids are investigated in order to find an efficient and cost-effective heat transfer fluid. The effects of nanoparticle volume concentration and of spherical and cylindrical particulate sizes on the conjugate heat transfer performance of the microchannel are reported. The effective thermal conductivity of a nanofluid is evaluated on the basis of particle sphericity by considering the volume and surface area of the nanoparticles. The average convective heat transfer coefficient increases with increase in Reynolds number and volume concentration. Moreover, sphericity-based thermal conductivity evaluation showed that increasing the length of the SWCNT nanoparticle has significant effect on the heat transfer performance, concluding that axial heat conduction dominates the radial heat conduction within the nanoparticle. The carbon nanofluid is identified as an optimized heat transfer fluid with better heat transfer characteristics in comparison with the gold nanofluid. It also reduces the cost of the working fluid. The variations in the interface temperature between solid and fluid regions are reported for nanofluids with different concentrations at different Reynolds numbers. The diameter and length of the SWCNT nanoparticle show a significant effect on heat transfer characteristics.     

Thermal performance enhancement studies using graphite nanofluid for heat transfer applications

Enhanced boiling heat transfer using nanofluids is highly relevant due to its potential applications in thermal management of systems producing large heat fluxes. However, the sedimentation of nanoparticles limits their application in heat transfer systems. So, the preparation of a stable nanofluid remains a big research challenge. The stability issues arise due to the large difference in the density of nanoparticle and the base fluid. Graphite nanoparticle is selected in this study, as it has 4.5 times lower density than copper and comparable thermal conductivity. An experimental study is conducted to evaluate the suitability of graphite nanofluid in mesh wick heat pipes, which are devices that utilize boiling and condensation principles to transfer high heat fluxes. Thermal transport properties and boiling heat transfer characteristics showed enhancement and the effect of nanofluid on the device level thermal performance is thoroughly assessed. Experimental results are compared with the published literature. A reduction in thermal resistance by 32.5% and an improvement in the heat transfer coefficient by 48.02% in comparison with base fluid clearly indicate the superiority of the graphite nanofluid for heat transfer applications.     

Experimental exploration and theoretical certainty of thermal conductivity and viscosity of MgO-therminol 55 nanofluid

In this study, a combination of thermal conductivity, viscosity, and density characteristics are experimentally probed for attaining maximum heat transfer using MgO-Therminol 55 as nanofluid is reported. Recent studies proved that nanofluids have miserable properties that make them feasibly useful in many applications in heat transfer compared to base fluid.MgO-Therminol 55 nanofluid is synthesized by diffusion of MgO nanoparticles of size 160–190 nm in Therminol 55 at different concentrations (0.05%–0.3%). Thermal conductivity and viscosity are calculated at a temperature range of 30–60°C using kd₂ analyzer and Fenske viscometer. Data obtained from the experimental results reveals that when volume concentration is increased with respect to that thermal conductivity increases, viscosity decreases and density decreases at different temperatures. The proposed models were supportive to the experimental data.     

Experimental thermal conductivity of ethylene glycol and water mixture based low volume concentration of Al2O3 and CuO nanofluids

Thermal conductivity of ethylene glycol and water mixture based Al₂O₃ and CuO nanofluids has been estimated experimentally at different volume concentrations and temperatures. The base fluid is a mixture of 50:50% (by weight) of ethylene glycol and water (EG/W). The particle concentration up to 0.8% and temperature range from 15 °C–50 °C were considered. Both the nanofluids are exhibiting higher thermal conductivity compared to base fluid. Under same volume concentration and temperature, CuO nanofluid thermal conductivity is more compared to Al₂O₃ nanofluid. A new correlation was developed based on the experimental data for the estimation of thermal conductivity of both the nanofluids.     

Effect of Serpentine Grooves on Heat Transfer Characteristics of Microchannel Heat Sink with Different Nanofluids

An experimental and numerical investigation of the thermal performance of three different nanofluids ethylene glycol‐based CuO, water‐based CuO, and Al₂O₃ is done in a serpentine‐shaped micorchannel heat sink. The microchannels considered ranged from 810 μm to 890 μm in hydraulic diameter and were made of copper material. The experiments were conducted with the Reynolds number ranging from approximately 100 to 1300. The forced convective heat transfer coefficient of nanofluids shows that there is an improved heat transfer rate compared to base fluids water and ethylene glycol. The experimental results also confirm that there is an earlier transition from laminar to turbulent flow in microchannels. The results prove that as the hydraulic diameter decreases there is increased pressure drop and the heat transfer coefficient increases for both the base fluids and nanofluids. The flow characteristics are discussed based on the pressure drop. While investigating the heat transfer coefficient of the three different nanofluids the nanofluid CuO/EG has the highest heat transfer coefficient as a result of the material's property. This research also will encourage young researchers to work on nanofluids of varying nanoparticle size and concentration to discover new results.     

The Viscosity of Nanofluids: A Review of the Theoretical,Empirical, and Numerical Models

The enhanced thermal characteristics of nanofluids have made it one of the most raplidly growing research areas in the last decade. Numerous researches have shown the merits of nanofluids in heat transfer equipment. However, one of the problems is the increase in viscosity due to the suspension of nanoparticles. This viscosity increase is not desirable in the industry, especially when it involves flow, such as in heat exchanger or microchannel applications where lowering pressure drop and pumping power are of significance. In this regard, a critical review of the theoretical, empirical, and numerical models for effective viscosity of nanofluids is presented. Furthermore, different parameters affecting the viscosity of nanofluids such as nanoparticle volume fraction, size, shape, temperature, pH, and shearing rate are reviewed. Other properties such as nanofluid stability and magnetorheological characteristics of some nanofluids are also reviewed. The important parameters influencing viscosity of nanofluids are temperature, nanoparticle volume fraction, size, shape, pH, and shearing rate. Regarding the composite of nanofluids, which can consist of different fluid bases and different nanoparticles, different accurate correlations for different nanofluids need to be developed. Finally, there is a lack of investigation into the stability of different nanofluids when the viscosity is the target point.