Comparative Analysis of Nano Fluids used for Heat Transfer Applications

Abstract

The present research focuses on the application of various nanofluids and base fluids in a heat exchanger to identify the most effective combinations for enhancing heat transfer rates and overall efficiency. This study is novel in its comparative evaluation of a wide range of nanofluid and solvent combinations, benchmarked against conventional fluids, using both experimental investigations and validated simulation models. newlineA standard shell and tube heat exchanger, sourced from a customized machine manufacturing firm, was used in the experimental setup. ANSYS 2021 R1 software, employing the conjugate heat transfer approach with the k-epsilon model, was utilized for simulation purposes. To ensure the reliability of the results, a statistical technique known as relative standard deviation was applied. newlineThe base fluids examined in this study were water and ethylene glycol, while the nanofluids included Al, Al2O3, Cu, CuO, MgO, Eg, MWCNT, NiO, SiO2, and TiO2. After comparing experimental data with simulation results for validation, the study revealed that the combination of Hand#8322;O and NiO yielded an exit temperature of 358 K in the simulation approach and 326 K in the experimental approach, showing a minimal difference of 9.35%. This close agreement between the simulation and experimental results validates the simulation findings. As a result, water was recognized as the most effective base fluid. newline