Enhanced thermal conductivity of nanofluids: a state-of-the-art review

Adding small particles into a fluid in cooling and heating processes is one of the methods to increase the rate of heat transfer by convection between the fluid and the surface. In the past decade, a new class of fluids called nanofluids, in which particles of size 1–100 nm with high thermal conductivity are suspended in a conventional heat transfer base fluid, have been developed. It has been shown that nanofluids containing a small amount of metallic or nonmetallic particles, such as Al₂O₃, CuO, Cu, SiO₂, TiO₂, have increased thermal conductivity compared with the thermal conductivity of the base fluid. In this work, effective thermal conductivity models of nanofluids are reviewed and comparisons between experimental findings and theoretical predictions are made. The results show that there exist significant discrepancies among the experimental data available and between the experimental findings and the theoretical model predictions.     

Boundary layer analysis and heat transfer of a nanofluid

A theoretical model for nanofluid flow, including Brownian motion and thermophoresis, is developed and analysed. Standard boundary layer theory is used to evaluate the heat transfer coefficient near a flat surface. The model is almost identical to previous models for nanofluid flow which have predicted an increase in the heat transfer with increasing particle concentration. In contrast our work shows a marked decrease indicating that under the assumptions of the model (and similar ones) nanofluids do not enhance heat transfer. It is proposed that the discrepancy between our results and previous ones is due to a loose definition of the heat transfer coefficient and various ad hoc assumptions.     

Transient flow and heat transfer mechanism for Williamson-nanomaterials caused by a stretching cylinder with variable thermal conductivity

The utilization of nanometre-sized solid particles in working fluids has been seriously recommended due to their enhanced thermal characteristics. This suspension of solid particles in base fluids can significantly enhance the physical properties, such as, viscosity and thermal conductivity. They are widely used in several engineering processes, like, heat exchangers, cooling of electronic equipment, etc. In this exploration, we attempt to deliver a numerical study to simulate the nanofluids flow past a circular cylinder with convective heat transfer in the framework of Buongiorno’s model. A non-Newtonian Williamson rheological model is used to describe the behavior of nanofluid with variable properties (i.e., temperature dependent thermal conductivity). The leading flow equations for nanofluid transport are mathematical modelled with the assistance of Boussinesq approximation. Numerical simulation for the system of leading non-linear differential equations has been performed by employing versatile, extensively validated, Runge–Kutta Fehlberg scheme with Cash–Karp coefficients. Impacts of active physical parameters on fluid velocity, temperature and nanoparticle concentration is studied and displayed graphically. It is worth to mention that the temperature of non-Newtonian nanofluids is significantly enhanced by higher variable thermal conductivity parameter. One major outcome of this study is that the nanoparticle concentration is raised considerably by an increasing values of thermophoresis parameter.

     

Particle and thermohydraulic maldistribution of nanofluids in parallel microchannel systems

A deep understanding of fluidic maldistribution in microscale multichannel devices is necessary to achieve optimized flow and heat transfer characteristics. A detailed computational study has been performed using an Eulerian–Lagrangian twin-phase model to determine the concentration and thermohydraulic maldistributions of nanofluids in parallel microchannel systems. The study reveals that nanofluids cannot be treated as homogeneous single-phase fluids in such complex flow situations, and effective property models drastically fail to predict the performance parameters. To comprehend the distribution of the particulate phase, a novel concentration maldistribution factor has been proposed. It has been observed that the distribution of particles does not entirely follow the fluid flow pattern, leading to thermal performance that deviates from those predicted by homogeneous models. Particle maldistribution has been conclusively shown to be due to various migration and diffusive phenomena such as Stokesian drag, Brownian motion and thermophoretic drift. The implications of particle distribution on the cooling performance have been illustrated, and smart fluid effects (reduced magnitude of maximum temperature in critical zones) have been observed for nanofluids. A comprehensive mathematical model to predict the enhanced cooling performance in such flow geometries has been proposed. The article clearly highlights the effectiveness of discrete phase approach in modeling nanofluid thermohydraulics and sheds insight on the specialized behavior of nanofluids in complex flow domains.     

A mathematical model for nanoparticle melting with size-dependent latent heat and melt temperature

In this paper, we study the melting of a spherical nanoparticle. The model differs from previous ones in that a number of features have been incorporated to match experimental observations. These include the size dependence of the latent heat and a cooling condition at the boundary (as opposed to the fixed temperature condition used in previous studies). Melt temperature variation and density change are also included. The density variation drives the flow of the outer fluid layer. The latent heat variation is modelled by a new relation, which matches experimental data better than previous models. A novel form of Stefan condition is used to determine the position of the melt front. This condition takes into account the latent heat variation, the energy required to create new surface and the kinetic energy of the displaced fluid layer. Results show that melting times can be significantly faster than predicted by previous theoretical models; for smaller particles, this can be around a factor 3. This is primarily due to the latent heat variation. The previously used fixed temperature boundary condition had two opposing effects on melt times: the implied infinite heat transfer led to faster melting but also artificially magnified the effect of kinetic energy, which slowed down the process. We conclude that any future models of nanoparticle melting must be based on the new Stefan condition and account for latent heat variation.     

Conjugate heat transfer through nano scale porous media to optimize vacuum insulation panels with lattice Boltzmann methods

Due to reduced thermal conductivity, vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) provide significant thermal insulation performance. Our novel vacuum panels operate at reduced pressure and are filled with a powder of precipitated silicic acid to further hinder convection and provide static stability against atmospheric pressure. To obtain an in depth understanding of heat transfer mechanisms, their interactions and their dependencies inside VIPs, detailed microscale simulations are conducted.Particle characteristics for silica are used with a discrete element method (DEM) simulation, using open source software Yade-DEM, to generate a periodic compressed packing of precipitated silicic acid particles. This aggregate packing is then imported into OpenLB (openlb.net) as a fully resolved geometry, and used to study the effects on heat transfer at the microscale. A three dimensional Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) for conjugated heat transfer is implemented with open source software OpenLB, which is extended to include radiative heat transport. The infrared intensity distribution is solved and coupled with the temperature through the emissivity, absorption and scattering of the studied media using the radiative transfer equation by means of LBM. This new holistic approach provides a distinct advantage over similar porous media approaches by providing direct control and tuning of particle packing characteristics such as aggregate size, shape and pore size distributions and studying their influence directly on conduction and radiation independently. Our aim is to generate one holistic tool which can be used to generate silica geometry and then simulate automatically the thermal conductivity through the generated geometry.     

Numerical simulations of particle migration in a viscoelastic fluid subjected to Poiseuille flow

In this work we present 2D numerical simulations on the migration of a particle suspended in a viscoelastic fluid under Poiseuille flow. A Giesekus model is chosen as constitutive equation of the suspending liquid. In order to study the sole effect of the fluid viscoelasticity, both fluid and particle inertia are neglected.The governing equations are solved through the finite element method with proper stabilization techniques to get convergent solutions at relatively large flow rates. An Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) formulation is adopted to manage the particle motion. The mesh grid is moved along the flow so as to limit particle motion only in the gradient direction to substantially reduce mesh distortion and remeshing.Viscoelasticity of the suspending fluid induces particle cross-streamline migration. Both large Deborah number and shear thinning speed up the migration velocity. When the particle is small compared to the gap (small confinement), the particle migrates towards the channel centerline or the wall depending on its initial position. Above a critical confinement (large particles), the channel centerline is no longer attracting, and the particle is predicted to migrate towards the closest wall when its initial position is not on the channel centerline. As the particle approaches the wall, the translational velocity in the flow direction is found to become equal to the linear velocity corresponding to the rolling motion over the wall without slip.     

Particle transport in patterned cylindrical microchannels

An Eulerian model (convection–diffusion–migration equation) to evaluate particle transport in patchy heterogeneous cylindrical microchannels is presented. The objective of this model is to capture the effect of surface chemical heterogeneity on deposition and particle transport in cylindrical microchannels with fully developed Poiseuille flow velocity profile. Surface heterogeneity is modeled as alternate bands of attractive and repulsive regions on the channel wall to facilitate systematic continuum type evaluation. The results indicate that particles tend to preferentially collect at the leading edge of the favorable sections and the extent of this deposition can be controlled by changing Peclet number. Also, it is shown that particles tend to travel further along the microchannel length for heterogeneous channels compared to homogeneously favorable channels. In addition, the study evaluates the effect of the frequency of these stripes on the transport behavior and provides the average collection rate depending on favorable surface coverage fraction. This analysis shows how the existing microchannel/capillary transport models could possibly be modified by incorporating surface interactions and chemical heterogeneity.     

基于光滑粒子流体动力学方法的交互式水流加热仿真

针对传统水流加热仿真中交互困难与效率低下的问题,提出一种基于光滑粒子流体动力学(SPH)的热运动仿真方法,旨在交互式控制水流加热变化过程。首先,基于SPH方法将连续水流粒子化,以粒子群模拟水流的运动,并通过碰撞检测方法将粒子运动限定在容器内;然后,采用第一类边界条件的热传导模型加热水粒子,并根据粒子的温度更新粒子的运动状态,以模拟加热过程中水流的热运动;最后,定义可编辑的系统参数与约束关系,通过人机交互仿真多种条件下水流加热及其运动过程。以太阳能热水器加热仿真为例,通过修改少量参数控制热水器的加热工作验证了SPH方法求解热传导问题时的交互性与高效性,为交互式水流加热在其他虚拟场景的应用提供了便利。     

Microscale thermal fluid transport process in a microchannel integrated with arrays of temperature and pressure sensors

One of the most important components in a microfluidic system is the microchannel which involves complicated flow and transport process. This work presents microscale thermal fluid transport process inside a microchannel with a height of 37 μm. The channel can be heated on the bottom wall and is integrated with arrays of pressure and temperature sensors which can be used to measure and determine the local heat transfer and pressure drop. A more simplified model with modification of Young’s Modulus from the experimental test is used to design and fabricate the arrays of pressure sensors. Both the pressure sensors and the channel wall use polymer materials which greatly simplifies the fabrication process. In addition, the polymer materials have a very low thermal conductivity which significantly reduces the heat loss from the channel to the ambient that the local heat transfer can be accurately measured. The airflow in the microchannel can readily become compressible even at a very low Reynolds number condition. Therefore, simultaneous measurement of both the local pressure drop and the temperature on the heated wall are required to determine the local heat transfer. Comparison of the local heat transfer for a compressible airflow in microchannel is made with the theoretical prediction based on incompressible airflow in large scale channel. The comparison has clarified many of the conflicting results among different works.     

Computational heat transfer and two-phase flow topology in miniature tubes

Detailed computational multi-fluid dynamics simulations have been performed to study the effect of two-phase flow regime on heat transfer in small diameter pipes. Overall the heat removal rate in two-phase flow is higher than in single phase. Subtle differences in thermal removal rates are revealed when the flow-regime transitions from bubbly to slug and slug-train configurations. It is found that the wall thermal layer is affected by two separate mechanisms: an early-stage compression due to gas-jet fragmentation into slugs or bubbles, and a background inclusion-induced flow superimposed on the equivalent single-phase fully developed flow far downstream. The first mechanism resembles a confinement or blockage effect, and is shown to directly influence radial temperature gradients. The downstream mechanism is a cell-based developed flow (rather than fully developed), and is shown here to increase the wall shear in the vicinity of the cell, leading to higher heat transfer rates. The mean Nusselt number distribution shows that the bubbly, slug and slug-train patterns transport as much as three to four times more heat from the tube wall to the bulk flow than pure water flow. A mechanistic heat transfer model is proposed, based on frequency and length scale of inclusions.     

Local heat transfer process and pressure drop in a micro-channel integrated with arrays of temperature and pressure sensors

One of the most important components in micro-fluidic system is the micro-channel which involves complicated flow and transport process. This study presents micro-scale thermal fluid transport process inside a micro-channel with a height of 37 μm. The channel can be heated on the bottom wall and is integrated with arrays of pressure and temperature sensors which can be used to measure and determine the local heat transfer and pressure drop. A more simplified model with modification of Young’s Modulus from the experimental test is used to design and fabricate the arrays of pressure sensors. Both the pressure sensors and the channel wall use polymer materials which greatly simplify the fabrication process. In addition, the polymer materials have a very low thermal conductivity which significantly reduces the heat loss from the channel to the ambient that the local heat transfer can be accurately measured. The air flow in the micro-channel can readily become compressible even at a very low Reynolds number condition. Therefore, simultaneous measurement of both the local pressure drop and the temperature on the heated wall is required to determine the local heat transfer. Comparison of the local heat transfer for a compressible air flow in micro-channel is made with the theoretical prediction based on incompressible air flow in large-scale channel. The comparison has clarified many of the conflicting results among different works.     

基于FINE/Turbo的高压涡轮叶片流热耦合分析

为验证FINE/Turbo软件对高压涡轮流热耦合求解问题的准确性,将Mark Ⅱ型燃气涡轮叶片作为分析对象,选用不同的湍流模型和转捩模型进行数值模拟,得到叶片表面压力分布,B2B面的压力、温度、马赫数和湍流动能分布,叶片内部温度分布以及叶片表面传热系数分布,并与试验数据进行比较.结果表明:对于流热耦合问题,FINE/T...     

Thermal conductivity measurement of submicrometer-scale silicon dioxide films by an extended micro-Raman method

The micro-Raman method is a noncontact and nondestructive method for thin film thermal conductivity measurements. To apply the micro-Raman method, however, the thickness of the film must be at least tens of micrometers. An analytical heat transfer model is presented in this work to extend the micro-Raman measurement method to measure the thermal conductivity of thin films with submicrometer- or nanometer-scale thickness. The model describes the heat transfer process in the thin film and substrate considering the effects of thin film thickness, interface thermal resistance, thermal conductivity of the thin film and substrate. From this heat transfer model, an analytical expression for the thermal conductivity of the thin film is derived. Experiments were successfully performed to measure the thermal conductivity of 200, 300 and 500 nm thickness silicon dioxide films using the extended micro-Raman measurement method, with results confirming the accuracy and validity of the extended model.     

Computational simulation of gas flow and heat transfer near an immersed object in fluidized beds

To improve the understanding of the heat transfer mechanism and to find a reliable and simple heat-transfer model, the gas flow and heat transfer between fluidized beds and the surfaces of an immersed object is numerically simulated based on a double particle-layer and porous medium model. The velocity field and temperature distribution of the gas and particles are analysed during the heat transfer process. The simulation shows that the change of gas velocity with the distance from immersed surface is consistent with the variation of bed voidage, and is used to validate approximately dimensional analysing result that the gas velocity between immersed surface and particles is 4.6U_mf/ε_mf. The effects of particle size and particle residence time on the thermal penetration depth and the heat-transfer coefficients are also discussed.     

Near-wall effects in micro scale Couette flow and heat transfer in the Maxwell-slip regimes

The effects of modified transport characteristics within an extremely thin layer adjacent to the fluid–solid interfaces are investigated for fully developed laminar micro-scale Couette flows with slip boundary conditions. The wall-adjacent layer effects are incorporated into the continuum-based mathematical model by imposing variable viscosity and thermal conductivity values close to the channel walls, for solving the momentum and energy conservation equations. Analytical expressions for the velocity profiles are derived and are subsequently utilized to obtain the temperature variations within the parallel plate channel, as a function of the significant system parameters. It is revealed that the variations in effective viscosity and thermal conductivity values within the wall-adjacent layer have profound influences on the fluid flow and the heat transfer characteristics within the channel, with an interesting interplay with the wall slip boundary conditions. These effects cannot otherwise be accurately captured by employing classical continuum based models for microscale Couette flows that do not take into account the alterations in effective transport properties within the wall adjacent layers.     

Method for evaluating thermodynamic and statistical molecular dynamic interactions among the biomolecular particles that participate in gene expression

A mathematical method is introduced for evaluating the biomolecular dynamic interactions in gene expression and the regulation of an artificial life. The theoretical basis was founded on the thermodynamics and statistical molecular dynamics of multicomponent dilute gas systems, which are characterized by the Boltzmann equations and molecular collision integrals. We introduce the mathematical processes for computing shear viscosity, and the thermal conductivity of two interacting biomolecules that have different geometries, number density, and mass, in great detail. The computed normalized shear viscosity, normalized thermal conductivity, self diffusion, and thermal diffusion coefficients showed multimodal complex behaviors as functions of radius, length, mass distribution parameters, number density, and the mass of the second interacting particle. This method and the computed results, in a more generalized version, would give quantitative evaluations of physical collisional interactions among biomolecular particles as the ultimate process of biochemical reactions. This work was presented, in part, at the Sixth International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Tokyo, Japan, January 15–17, 2001.     

Two- and three-dimensional lattice Boltzmann simulations of particle migration in microchannels

The use of two-dimensional (2D) numerical simulations with a reduced particle-based Reynolds number (Re) for studying particle migration in a microchannel with equally spaced multiple constrictions was investigated. 2D and 3D colloidal lattice Boltzmann (LB) models were used to simulate particle-fluid hydrodynamics. Experiments were conducted with inert microparticles in a creeping flow in a microflow channel with symmetric wall obstacles. Lowering Re in 2D simulations by a factor of R (the dimensionless particle radius in LB simulations) resulted in a close match between numerically computed and experimentally obtained particle velocities, indicating that Re-based dimensional scaling was needed to capture the 3D particle flow dynamics in 2D simulations of experimental data. We captured particle displacement motion in a microchannel with symmetric inline obstacles in 2D simulations, where symmetry in the flow field was broken by local disturbances in the flow field due to particle motion, indicating that asymmetry in channel geometry is not the sole cause for particle displacement motion. Particle acceleration/deceleration around each constriction followed the same pattern, but each constriction acted like a particle accelerator in 2D and 3D simulations, in which particles exhibited progressively higher velocities in each subsequent constriction. Particles migrated across multiple streamlines in converging and diverging flow zones in a creeping flow, which calls into question the use of steady streamlines for calculating transient particle flow. Monotonicity in particle acceleration toward the constriction and deceleration beyond the constriction was broken by interparticle hydrodynamic interactions leading to more pronounced particle migration across multiple streamlines.     

Blood cell transport and aggregation using discrete ellipsoidal particles

A computational model is presented for efficient mesoscale simulation of the transport, collision and aggregation of blood cells, which can be applied to examine red blood cells (RBCs), leukocytes, or platelets in various types of blood flows in which the fluid length scale is substantially larger than the particle length scale. This method is intended to be intermediate between microscale models, which examine deformation and flow around a small number of individual blood cells, and more phenomenological continuum models. The computational model utilizes a particle approximation for the blood cells and introduces other physically-justifiable approximations in order to accommodate computations with large numbers of cells. For instance, the non-spherical RBC and platelet shape is incorporated into the model by use of ellipsoidal particles. A novel method based on particle level-surfaces is presented for rapid identification of particle collision. It is shown that receptor–ligand binding between the cells can be modeled under certain conditions using a formulation that is mathematically similar to van der Waals adhesion of particles, but in which the surface energy density is variable in time. The method is demonstrated to provide computations of the interaction and adhesion of over 13,000 red-blood-cell particles on an ordinary workstation. These computations exhibit formation of chain-like rouleaux aggregates, modification of rouleaux structure due to shear flow, and capture and/or breakup of colliding rouleaux. The model predictions are examined for rouleaux size distribution in channel flow in comparison to experimental data, as well as for the effect of RBC aggregation on margination of white blood cells and platelets in channel flows.     

Combination of baffling technique and high-thermal conductivity fluids to enhance the overall performances of solar channels

In the present study, two-phase flow and forced-convection heat transfer of hydrogen gas (H₂) in a solar finned and baffled channel heat exchanger (SFBCHE) is studied numerically. The effect of different obstacles in the channel is addressed. A H₂ heat transfer fluid (HTF) having a high thermal conductivity with the baffling technique is implemented to enhance the overall performance of a solar channel. In the initial step, the results from the proposed numerical model were compared with the experimental data of a smooth channel, and then against data with a baffled channel. After checking the validity of our model, the same numerical approach was used for studying thermal-fluid characteristics of the channel with the new fluid. A hydrothermal analysis is presented for a range of Reynolds number (Re) from 5000 to 25,000. At the lowest Re = 5000, the thermal enhancement factor (TEF) is about 1.25. This value increases to 2.16, or 73.46%, when Re = 10,000. This increase in the TEF values continues as Re increases. The largest Re = 25,000 gives the highest TEF value, as it is about 4.18, which is 2.75 times greater than that given for the case of using the conventional gaseous fluid (air). Therefore, our proposed structure for the SFBCHE with high H₂ HTF flow velocity leads to improve the values of dynamic pressure (P_d) and heat transfer (Nu), while reducing the skin friction (f) values, which increases the overall TEF of the channel. In addition, all performance values are greater than unity (or 1.00). This reflects the importance of the H₂ HTF baffling and finning technique in improving the hydrodynamic thermal-energy performance of solar heat exchangers. The suggested model of SFBCHE filled with an H₂ HTF having a high thermal conductivity allows a considerable enhancement in the overall thermal performances which can be employed in various thermal types of equipment, such as solar energy receivers, automotive radiators, and cooling in chemical industries.