Enhancing thermal conductivity of fluids

with
nanoparticles

Prepared by:
Smith R Kashid
T.E. Mech.
Roll no:344
 Introduction:
• Modern nanotechnology provides new opportunities to process and produce
materials with average crystallite sizes below 50 nm. Fluids with nanoparticles
suspended in them are called nanofluids. A term proposed by Choi in 1995 of
the Argonne National Laboratory, U.S.A.
Synthesis of nanofluids:

• There are mainly two techniques used to produce nanofluids:

i) The single-step method.
ii) The two-step method.

• Some special requirements are essential e.g. even and stable

suspension, durable suspension, negligible agglomeration of
particles, no chemical change of the fluid, etc.

• Nanofluids are produced by dispersing nanometer-scale solid

particles into base liquids such as water, ethylene glycol (EG),
oils, etc.
The single-step method:
• The single-step direct evaporation approach was developed
by Akoh et al. and is called the VEROS (Vacuum
Evaporation onto a Running Oil Substrate) technique.
•A modified VEROS process was proposed by Wagener et al.

•Eastman et al. also developed a another modified VEROS

technique
•Zhu et al. presented a novel one-step chemical method

•A vacuum-SANSS (submerged arc nanoparticle synthesis

system) method has been employed by Lo et al.
• Recently, a Ni nanomagnetic fluid was also produced by Lo

et al. using the SANSS method.

The two-step method:.
• In this method, nanoparticles was first produced and
then dispersed in the base fluids. Generally,
ultrasonic equipment is used to intensively disperse
the particles and reduce the agglomeration of
particles.

• For example,
Eastman et al. , Lee et al. , and Wang et al used this
method to produce Al2O3 nanofluids. Also, Murshed
et al. Prepared TiO2 suspension in water using the
two-step method.
•Aadvantage:
•one-step technique :- nanoparticle agglomeration is minimized.

•the two-step technique works well for oxide nanoparticles.

•Disadvantage:

•One-step techniqe :- only low vapor pressure fluids are compatible

with such a process.

•Two step tehnique:- less successful with metallic particles.

Potential benefits of nanofluids:

• enhancement of heat transfer due to increased pumping

power can be estimated from the following
equation:

h/h0 = (P/P0)^0.29

• For a nanofluid flowing in the same heat transfer

equipment at a fixed velocity, enhancement of heat
transfer due to increased thermal conductivity can be
estimated from the equation:

hnf/h0 = (knf/k0)2/3
In heat exchangers that use conventional fluids, heat transfer can
only be improved by significantly increasing flow rates.
• Liu et al. (1988) have studied the influence of particle
loading and size on the pressure drop of slurry.

• the potential benefits of nanofluids could provide

tremendous performance,size/weight, and cost
advantages.
Future challenges :
• The use of nanofluids in a wide variety of applications
appears promising, but the development of the field is
hindered by:
(i) the lack of agreement between results obtained in
different laboratories

(ii) the often poor characterization of the suspensions

(iii) the lack of theoretical understanding of the

mechanisms responsible for the observed changes in
properties.
FUTURE RESEARCH PLANS:

• The research effort to produce and characterize the heat

transfer behavior of nanofluids will consist of following main tasks.

1. Nanophase metal powders will be produced in existing

state-of-the-art gas-condensation preparation systems at ANL. The
particle size and agglomeration behavior of nanophase powders in
liquids will be studied.

2. Technology for production of nanoparticle suspensions will be

developed and the stability, dispersion, and rheological/transport
properties of these nanofluids will be investigated.

3. Practical applications of nanofluids will be Investigated.

 Conclusion:
• The concept of nanofluids is an innovative idea. One of the benefits of
nanofluids will be dramatic reductions in heat exchanger pumping power.

• The use of nanofluids in a wide range of applications appears

promising, but the development of the field faces several challenges

• A critical review of the state-of-the-art nanofluids research

for heat transfer application was conducted in this work, which
showed that our current understanding on nanofluids is still quite
limited.
THANK YOU