Thermal analysis of a novel retarder by using the nanofluid cooling system: Numerical and experimental approaches. Issue 5 (23rd January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xu, Xiaoqin; Chen, Shumei; Chen, Chengchun; Xu, Changhua; Wang, Cheng
• Is Part Of: Heat transfer. Volume 50:Issue 5(2021)
• Page Start: 4127
• Page End: 4143
• Publication Date: 2021-01-23
• Subjects: braking torque -- cooling capabilities -- nanofluid -- retarder -- temperature rise; Heat -- Transmission -- Periodicals; Heat -- Transmission; Periodicals; 621.4022
• DOI: 10.1002/htj.22067
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2688-4534

Abstract

Abstract: To solve the problem of braking torque decline or even brake failure of vehicle retarders caused by high temperature due to long‐time or high‐power braking, the nanofluid with high thermal conductivity is introduced into the previously proposed novel retarder. To evaluate the nanofluid cooling capabilities, a model depicting the vertical fluid flow in the retarder is formulated. Adopting similarity transformations and a shooting method coupled with Runge–Kutta iterative technology, the model boundary value problem is tackled numerically. The cooling capabilities of three typical ethylene glycol (EG)‐based nanofluids: Cu–EG, Al2 O3 –EG, and TiO2 –EG are investigated and compared. Finally, an experimental test is carried out to examine the temperature rise and the variation of braking torque for the retarder. It is demonstrated that Al2 O3 –EG nanofluid has the highest Nusselt number (rate of heat transfer), and more importantly, the braking torque of the proposed retarder decreases by only 8.2% under high‐power braking condition.