Thermal conductivity and flow properties analysis of nanofluids based on the Lennard-Jones potential model. (1st January 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wan, Jianfeng; Bi, Wenyan
• Is Part Of: International journal of nanomanufacturing. Volume 9:Number 3/4(2013)
• Page Start: 330
• Page End: 337
• Publication Date: 2013-01-01
• Subjects: nanofluids -- thermal conductivity -- shear viscosity -- Lennard-Jones potential model -- molecular dynamics -- periodic boundary conditions -- PBCs; Nanostructured materials industry -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; 620.505
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1746-9392

Abstract

Compared with traditional heat transfer fluids, thermal conductivity of nanofluids was greatly increased. The reason was researched with the method of molecular dynamics. To test validity of the model and the algorithms, thermal conductivity of liquid argon at 86 K was studied as simulation examples first. Several different potential energy models had been applied to characterise copper atomic interactions. The first condition simulated with periodic boundary conditions was only one nanoparticle existing in the simulated field which could rule collisions and the aggregation effect of nanoparticles out completely. Second, to study the influence of collisions and aggregation of nanoparticles to thermal conductivity and shear viscosity of nanofluids, the paper simulated conditions in which existed multiple nanoparticles. From the simulation and calculation, it can be concluded that the increase of the thermal conductivity and shear viscosity is different with type of aggregates formed by nanoparticles.