Particle concentration levels of various nanofluids in plate heat exchanger for best performance. (October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tiwari, Arun Kumar; Ghosh, Pradyumna; Sarkar, Jahar
• Is Part Of: International journal of heat and mass transfer. Volume 89(2015:Oct.)
• Page Start: 1110
• Page End: 1118
• Publication Date: 2015-10
• Subjects: Nanofluids -- Particle volume fraction -- Experimentation -- Heat transfer -- Pressure drop -- Best performance; Heat -- Transmission -- Periodicals; Mass transfer -- Periodicals; Chaleur -- Transmission -- Périodiques; Transfert de masse -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 621.4022
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2015.05.118
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0017-9310

Abstract

Highlights: Experimental investigation of heat transfer and pressure drop in plate heat exchanger. Particle loading optimization of various nanofluids for maximum heat transfer performance. Effects of various operating parameters on the optimum particle loading are discussed. Best concentration for maximum performance index is lower than that for heat transfer. Effect of nanomaterials is more predominant than that of temperature or flow rate. Abstract: A heat exchange device using nanofluid needs to operate at best nanoparticle loading to get the maximum heat transfer performance. In this paper, an attempt has been made to optimize different nanofluid particle volume fractions based on a maximum heat transfer rate, convective heat transfer coefficient, overall heat transfer coefficient, effectiveness and performance index. The novelty of the present study is the optimization of particle volume fraction of various nanofluids based on experimentation in the commercial plate heat exchanger for wide range of nanoparticle volume fraction (0–3%). Effects of other operating conditions on the optimization have been discussed as well. Results show that for maximum enhancement of heat transfer characteristics, different nanofluids work at different optimum volume concentrations. For CeO2 /water, Al2 O3 /water, TiO2 /water and SiO2 /water nanofluids, the optimum volume concentrations are 0.75%, 1%, 0.75% and 1.25%, respectively, at the flow rate of 3 lpm. The corresponding maximum heat transfer enhancements are about 35.9%, 26.3%, 24.1%, and 13.9%, respectively. Present study indicates that the optimum concentration for maximum performance index is lower than that for maximum heat transfer rate. Moreover the effect of nanomaterials is more predominant than that of heat transfer fluid temperature or volume flow rate.