Performance Analysis of a Louvered Fin Automotive Radiator Using Hybrid Nanofluid as Coolant

This study deals with the theoretical enhancement of thermal performance using water‐based (50/50) volume fraction of Fe₂O₃, CuO, TiO₂, Ag, Cu in Al₂O₃ hybrid nanofluids as coolants for a louvered fin automobile radiator. The effects on thermophysical properties and various performance parameters, i.e., heat transfer, effectiveness, and pumping power of hybrid nanofluids have been compared with water. Among all studied hybrid nanofluids, Al₂O₃‐Ag/water hybrid nanofluid has higher effectiveness, heat transfer rate, pumping power, and pressure drop of 0.8%, 3%, 6%, and 5.6%, respectively, as compared to water and is followed by (50/50) volume fraction of Cu, CuO, Fe₂O₃, TiO₂ hybrid nanofluids as radiator coolant. For the same radiator size and heat transfer rate, coolant flow rate and pumping work decreases by 3%, 4%, respectively, for Al₂O₃‐Ag/water hybrid nanofluid and for the same coolant flow rate and heat transfer rate the radiator size decreases by 3% and pumping power increases by 3.4% for Al₂O₃‐Ag/water hybrid nanofluid as compared to water. Reduction in radiator size may lead to a reduction in radiator cost, engine fuel consumption, and environmental benefit.     

Experimental study on thermal performance of optimum PG brine as a radiator coolant

The present study deals with the experimental impact of an alternative heat transfer fluids for overall performance improvement for radiators. Water and water mixed with anti‐freezing agents such as ethylene glycol (EG) and propylene glycol (PG) are the traditional coolants for an automotive radiator. Comparison of experimental and numerical analysis of optimum brine solution, that is 25% of propylene glycol and water as coolant for the rectangular fin radiator, has been well discussed. A closed loop test rig was designed, and fabricated with a wind tunnel section to achieve uniform velocity at the test section of the rectangular radiator and was tested for performance. Experimental runs were conducted at varying operating temperatures which included the runs for water, and an optimum propylene glycol brine solutions at 70 °C and 80 °C with various flow rates. Results show the energy performance of an optimum brine solution was nearly similar to that of water at high temperatures. The Nusselt number, heat transfer coefficient, and heat transfer rate for an optimum propylene glycol brine is nearly the same as water at 80 °C with a maximum deviation of 15%, 5.7%, and 6.6%, respectively, for theoretical and experimental result comparisons. Air side and coolant side pressure drops had a maximum deviation of 3.66% and 6.6%, respectively. Air and coolant exit temperatures had a deviation of 5% and 3.5%, respectively, with an air frontal velocity of 4.6 m/s in a rectangular fin radiator for an optimum brine solution used as coolant for the automotive radiator. The optimum propylene glycol brine may be environmentally beneficial.     

Experimental Assessment of the Thermo-Hydraulic Performance of Automobile Radiator with Metallic and Nonmetallic Nanofluids

Abstract

The overall heat transfer of a cross flow heat exchanger can be enhanced by using the nanofluids as coolant, which finds application in reducing the size and weight of automobile radiator. However, improving the heat transfer using nanofluids can be accompanied by simultaneous variations in the required pumping power. This study experimentally evaluates the thermo-hydraulic performance of three nanofluids—metallic (copper, aluminum) and nonmetallic (multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT))—as coolant for an automobile radiator by utilizing an in-house test rig. An enhancement in overall heat transfer coefficient can be observed with nanocoolants (nanofluid as coolant), compared to the de-ionized water at the same Reynolds number. The maximum enhancement in the overall heat transfer coefficient was observed to be 40, 29, and 25% for MWCNT, copper, and aluminum nanofluids, respectively. The thermal performance of coolants was also compared with the same pumping power criterion. The overall heat transfer coefficient of nanofluids were higher than basefluid at low pumping power range and the trend changes with increase in the pumping power. The present study shows that the heat transfer characteristics at the same Reynolds number as well as at the same pumping power needs to be considered for the selection of appropriate nanocoolant for automobile radiator application.     

Experimental and analytical investigation on an automobile radiator with CuO/EG‐water based nanofluid as coolant

In the present study, experimental and analytical thermal performance of automobile radiator using nanofluids is investigated and compared with performance obtained with conventional coolants. Effect of operating parameters and nanoparticle concentration on heat transfer rate are studied for water as well as CuO/EG‐water based nanofluid analytically. The results are presented in the form of graphs showing variations of net heat transfer rate for various coolant flow rate, air velocity, and source temperature for various CuO/EG‐water based nanofluids. Experimental results indicate that with the increase in coolant flow rate and air velocity, heat transfer rate increases, reaches maximum and then decreases. Experimental investigation of a radiator is carried out using CuO/EG‐water based nanofluids. Results obtained by experimental work and analytical MATLAB code are almost the same. Maximum absolute error in water and air side is within 12% for all flow condition and coolant fluids. Nusselt number of nanofluid is calculated using equation number 33[9]. The results obtained from experimental work using 0.2% volume CuO/EG‐water based nanofluids are compared with the results obtained from MATLAB code. The results show that the maximum error in the outlet temperature of the coolant and air is 12% in each case. Thus MATLAB code can be used for different concentration of nanofluids to study the effect of operating parameters on heat transfer rate. Thus MATLAB code developed is valid for given heat exchanger applications. From the results obtained by already validated MATLAB code, it is concluded that increase in coolant flow rate, air velocity, and source temperature increases the heat transfer rate. Addition of nanoparticles in the base fluid increases the heat transfer rate for all kind of base fluids. Among all the nanofluid analyzed in this study, water‐based nanofluid gives highest value of heat transfer rate and is recommended for the heat exchanger applications under normal operating conditions. Maximum enhancement is observed for ethylene glycol‐water (4:6) mixture for 1% volume concentration of CuO is almost equal to 20%. As heat transfer rate increases with the use of nanofluids, the heat transfer area of the radiator can be minimized.     

A review on the application of nanofluids in vehicle engine cooling system

This paper reviewed the application of nanofluids in vehicle engine cooling system. So far, nanoparticles have been used in engine oil, transmission oil, and radiator coolant to enhance heat transfer removal from vehicle engine. The heat transfer performance of nanofluids has been reported to perform better compared to pure fluid. This review focused on the experimental and numerical studies by previous researchers and their suggested amount of nanoparticles for optimum performance in vehicle engine cooling system. Finally, the conclusions and important summaries were presented according to the data collected.     

Exergy and energy analysis of a wavy fin radiator with variously shaped nanofluids as coolants

The present study deals with the energy and exergy analysis of a wavy fin radiator deploying various shapes of Al₂O ₃‐water as nanocoolant. The effects of radiator effectiveness, pumping power, heat transfer rate, and performance index with variously shaped nanoparticles, mainly spherical, brick, and platelet, on coolant flow rates and air velocities have been investigated. Also, the impacts of entropy, second law efficiency, entropy generation number, and irreversibility on radiator performance analysis have been considered with steady‐state assumptions. Theoretical analysis revealed that the spherical particle–based nanocoolant showed 21.9%, and 18.2% higher effectiveness than platelet and brick nanocoolants. However, minimization in the entropy generation is observed in the platelet shape of the nanoparticle. The second law efficiency is 13% higher for the spherical nanocoolant compared with the brick nanocoolant. An optimum entropy generation number is found at a coolant flow rate of 13 l/min and then gradually decreases with an increase in the coolant flow rate. For all the considered operating parameters, the spherical nanoparticle showed a better performance than brick and platelet nanofluids as a radiator coolant. Due to the enhanced overall performance for the spherical nanofluid, it may be considered as a potential candidate for a radiator coolant.     

Performance investigation of an automotive car radiator operated with nanofluid-based coolants (nanofluid as a coolant in a radiator)

Water and ethylene glycol as conventional coolants have been widely used in an automotive car radiator for many years. These heat transfer fluids offer low thermal conductivity. With the advancement of nanotechnology, the new generation of heat transfer fluids called, “nanofluids” have been developed and researchers found that these fluids offer higher thermal conductivity compared to that of conventional coolants. This study focused on the application of ethylene glycol based copper nanofluids in an automotive cooling system. Relevant input data, nanofluid properties and empirical correlations were obtained from literatures to investigate the heat transfer enhancement of an automotive car radiator operated with nanofluid-based coolants. It was observed that, overall heat transfer coefficient and heat transfer rate in engine cooling system increased with the usage of nanofluids (with ethylene glycol the basefluid) compared to ethylene glycol (i.e. basefluid) alone. It is observed that, about 3.8% of heat transfer enhancement could be achieved with the addition of 2% copper particles in a basefluid at the Reynolds number of 6000 and 5000 for air and coolant respectively. In addition, the reduction of air frontal area was estimated.     

Experimental analysis of SiO2-Distilled water nanofluids in a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cell parallel channel cooling plate

An experimental report on the thermal performance of Silicone Dioxide (SiO₂) nanofluid coolants based on a PEM fuel cell cooling system is presented. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of applying these nanofluids coolants as an alternative to conventional distilled water through detailed analysis of thermofluids behaviour in a simulated cooling plate environment. SiO₂ nanoparticles were dispersed in distilled water at 0.1%, 0.3% and 0.5% volume concentrations and tested in a parallel channel cooling plate system. A constant heat load was supplied to simulate a fuel cell stack thermal condition. At inlet flow conditions from 750 to 900 Reynolds number, the SiO₂ nanofluids reduced the average plate temperatures by 15%–20% compared to conventional water coolant. The nanofluids also increased the cooling effectiveness by a similar margin, as well as improving the bulk heat transfer coefficient to a range between 2700 and 4400 W m⁻². ^oC⁻¹. However, the required pumping power was also increased due to the added viscous effect. Through the Advantage Ratio (AR) analysis, it was concluded that the enhancement in heat transfer mechanics was more significant than the penalties in fluid flow dynamics. Thus, the SiO₂ nanofluids and the cooling plate design are possible options for advanced PEM fuel cell thermal management practice in future stack designs.     

管带式散热器结构的变化对冷却系统性能的影响

传统的冷却系统(主要包括水箱和中冷器在内)设计主要只考虑散热面积的多少以及流过冷却系统的冷却水流量,通过提高散热面积(或加大体积)来提高冷却性能,而没有考虑到通过散热器本身的结构参数的调节去改变或者提高散热性能。基于同一发动机性能参数,在改变散热器结构参数的情况下作了多个水箱和中冷器的样品,针对不同的组合作了多组对比试验,通过试验结果来分析冷却系统结构参数上的变化对散热性能的影响。     

车用内燃机冷却系统动态传热模型

提出了一个基于集总参数法的车用内燃机冷却系统动态传热模型。考虑了内燃机燃烧室、散热器和水泵的传热和冷却系统的工作,建立了机体、散热器、水泵与冷却介质之间的热耦合计算公式。对一台单缸柴油机冷却系的稳态及动态温度进行了计算,结果证实该模型可用于内燃机冷却系统的动态传热特性研究。     

Exploring the heat transfer performance of nanofluid as a coolant for power battery pack

Nanofluids with high thermal conductivity coefficient are introduced to the thermal management system of power battery packs for electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles. Two typical cooling structures of cylindrical and square battery packs are described, and their flow models are established. By similarity transformations, the nonlinear system of partial differential equations is reduced and then solved numerically by the shooting method. The heat transfer properties of three types of nanofluids, that is, CuO‐EG, Al₂O₃‐EG, TiO₂‐EG, are analyzed in detail. It is found that CuO‐EG nanofluid is the best coolant for the cylindrical battery pack, whereas Al₂O₃‐EG nanofluid is the best choice for square battery pack cooling.     

Investigation of engines radiator heat recovery using different shapes of nanoparticles in H2O/(CH2OH)2 based nanofluids

In this paper, a flat tube of an engine radiator is modeled numerically for improving the cooling process or heat recovery of the engine using nanofluids. Two hydrogen based fluids (water (H₂O) and ethylene glycol or EG ((CH₂OH)₂) and four nanoparticles (CuO, TiO₂, Al₂O₃ and Fe₃O₄) in different shapes (Brick, Cylindrical, Platelet and Spherical) are considered for modeling the nanofluids in four different Reynolds numbers (500, 1000, 1500 and 2000). Hamilton correlation is used to calculate the thermal conductivity of nanofluids in different shapes of nanoparticles. Furthermore, the effect of nanoparticles volume fraction on the Nusselt number for all nanoparticle shapes is discussed in this study. Results show that EG-TiO₂ with platelet shape and larger volume fraction of nanoparticles has the best cooling performance for the engine among other modeled nanofluids.     

基于一种电子节温器控制的发动机节油技术研究

传统机械式节温器主要由冷却水温控制,难以实时满足发动机实际工况下冷却水温要求,电子节温器可有效控制发动机在适合温度下工作,并一定程度上减小油耗。为验证电子节温器的有效性,对某款1.5 L排量发动机进行了台架试验,结果表明,控制系统可将冷却水温控制在各工况所对应的最优冷却水温附近,节油效果达到0.5%~2.6%。     

A review on air flow and coolant flow circuit in vehicles’ cooling system

Engine cooling system plays an important role to maintain the operating temperature of engine. The coolant circuit initiates by picking up heat at water jackets. With the pressure gradient exists in coolant circuit, hot coolant flows out from engine to radiator or to bypass circuit (during cold start). The under hood air flow carries heat away at radiator after the air flows through numerous hood components. The coolant flow circuit and air flow circuit meet each other and exchange heat at radiator. Extensive researches are carried out to study vehicles’ cooling system extensively either numerically or experimentally. The research covers many individual topics which include numerical modelling of engine cooling system, under hood air flow, heat transfer at water jacket, heat transfer at radiator and coolants’ after-boiling phenomenon.     

Experimental study on the thermo-physical properties of car engine coolant (water/ethylene glycol mixture type) based SiC nanofluids

The engine coolant (water/ethylene glycol mixture type) becomes one of the most commonly used commercial fluids in cooling system of automobiles. However, the heat transfer coefficient of this kind of engine coolant is limited. The rapid developments of nanotechnology have led to emerging of a relatively new class of fluids called nanofluids, which could offer the enhanced thermal conductivity (TC) compared with the conventional coolants. The present study reports the new findings on the thermal conductivity and viscosity of car engine coolants based silicon carbide (SiC) nanofluids. The homogeneous and stable nanofluids with volume fraction up to 0.5 vol.% were prepared by the two-step method with the addition of surfactant (oleic acid). It was found that the thermal conductivity of nanofluids increased with the volume fraction and temperature (10–50 °C), and the highest thermal conductivity enhancement was found to be 53.81% for 0.5 vol.% nanofluid at 50 °C. In addition, the overall effectiveness of the current nanofluids (0.2 vol.%) was found to be ~ 1.6, which indicated that the car engine coolant-based SiC nanofluid prepared in this paper was better compared to the car engine coolant used as base liquid in this study.     

Performance effect on the TEG system for waste heat recovery in automobiles using ZnO and SiO2 nanofluid coolants

Enhancement in heat transfer of the cold side is vital to amplify the performance of a thermoelectric generator (TEG). With enriched thermophysical properties of nanofluids, significant improvement in heat transfer process can be obtained. The current study concerns the performance comparison of an automobile waste heat recovery system with EG‐water (EG‐W) mixture, ZnO, and SiO₂ nanofluid as coolants for the TEG system. The effects on performance parameters, that is, circuit voltage, conversion efficiency, and output power with exhaust inlet temperature, the total area of TEG, Reynolds number, and particle concentration of nanofluids for the TEG system have been investigated. A detailed performance analysis revealed an increase in voltage, power output, and conversion efficiency of the TEG system with SiO ₂ nanofluid, followed by ZnO and EG‐W coolants. The electric power and conversion efficiency for SiO ₂ nanofluid at an exhaust inlet temperature of 500K were enhanced by 11.80% and 11.39% respectively, in comparison with EG‐W coolants. Moreover, the model speculates that an optimal total area of TEGs exists for the maximum power output of the system. With SiO ₂ nanofluid as a coolant, the total area of TEGs can be diminished by up to 34% as compared with EG‐W, which brings significant convenience for the placement of TEGs and reduces the cost of the TEG system.     

Investigating the effect of nanofluids of aluminum oxide and titanium dioxide on the heat transfer of the engine cooling coil by considering the boiling phenomenon

Automotive industries are constantly seeking to produce more powerful and efficient engines. One of the factors affecting engine efficiency is the engine's temperature. Several research studies have been done to control and reduce engine temperature. The generated heat due to combustion of fuel in the engine should be cooled down to avoid engine heat up. In the present study, the cooling circuit of a real‐scale internal combustion engine is simulated using GT‐suite software along with a proposed model. Also, in this study, a model for simulating boiling and the effect of employing nanofluids as a coolant is presented. Initially, the performance of the proposed model is examined in a channel. The results show that the proposed model increases accuracy by about 20% compared with the default GT‐suit model, which ignores boiling. The simulation results show that the presence of Al₂O₃ and TiO₂ nanofluids up to 2 vol% reduces the engine wall temperature by 7% and 6.7%, respectively.     

Finned tube performance evaluation with nanofluids and conventional heat transfer fluids

The performance of hydronic finned-tube heating units with nanofluids is compared to their performance with a conventional heat transfer fluid comprised of 60% ethylene glycol and 40% water, by mass (60% EG) using a mathematical model. The nanofluids modeled are comprised of either CuO or Al₂O₃ nanoparticles dispersed in the 60% EG solution. The finned tube configuration modeled is similar to that commonly found in building heating systems. The model employs correlations for nanoparticle thermophysical properties and heat transfer that have been previously documented in the literature. The analyses indicate that finned tube heating performance is enhanced by employing nanofluids as a heat transfer medium. The model predicts an 11.6% increase in finned-tube heating output under certain conditions with the 4% Al₂O₃/60% EG nanofluid and an 8.7% increase with the 4% CuO/60% EG nanofluid compared to heating output with the base fluid. The model predicts that pumping power required for a given heating output with a given finned tube geometry is reduced with both the Al₂O₃/60% EG and the CuO/60% EG nanofluids compared to the base fluid. The finned tube with 4% Al₂O₃/60% EG has the lowest liquid pumping power at a given heating output of all the fluids modeled.     

Heat transfer augmentation of ethylene glycol: water nanofluids and applications — A review

This paper introduces the historical background about the development of water based, ethylene glycol (EG) based and EG:water mixture nanofluids for the past 20 years. The primary consideration is to review the salient of research work related to EG:water mixture nanofluids and their applications. Nowadays, the fundamental studies of nanofluids are increasing rapidly for engineering applications. The determination of the forced convection heat transfer and pressure drop was reviewed for nanofluid flow in a tube. The experimental and numerical heat transfers of nanofluids were presented. A review of other relevant research studies is also provided. Substantial heat transfer literature has been studied on water based nanofluids used in the fundamental study for engineering applications. However, there are limited studies that use EG:water mixture nanofluids in evaluation of forced convection heat transfer. A number of research studies have been performed to investigate the transport properties of EG:water mixture nanofluids either in experimental or numerical approach. As the performance of EG:water mixture nanofluids could be verified through experimental studies, researchers have conducted the experimental works using several types of potential nanofluids. As a result, nanofluids have been used in certain engineering applications such as in automotive, transportation, cooling of electronics components, solar, and nuclear reactor coolant.     

Cooling performance of a microchannel heat sink with nanofluids

In this paper, the cooling performance of a microchannel heat sink with nanoparticle–fluid suspensions (“nanofluids”) is numerically investigated. By using a theoretical model of thermal conductivity of nanofluids that accounts for the fundamental role of Brownian motion, we investigate the temperature contours and thermal resistance of a microchannel heat sink with nanofluids such as 6 nm copper-in-water and 2 nm diamond-in-water. The results show that the cooling performance of a microchannel heat sink with water-based nanofluids containing diamond (1 vol.%, 2 nm) at the fixed pumping power of 2.25 W is enhanced by about 10% compared with that of a microchannel heat sink with water. Nanofluids reduce both the thermal resistance and the temperature difference between the heated microchannel wall and the coolant. Finally, the potential of deploying a combined microchannel heat sink with nanofluids as the next generation cooling devices for removing ultra-high heat flux is shown.