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The effect of nanoparticles aggregation on the thermal conductivity of nanofluids at very low concentrations: Experimental and theoretical evaluations

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Abstract

Nanoparticles suspended in a base fluid yield increased thermal conductivity, which in turn increases convection heat transfer rate. Prediction of suitable relations for determination of thermal conductivity results in heightened accuracy in the calculation of convection heat transfer coefficient and reduced costs. In the majority of studies performed on the prediction of thermal conductivity, some relations and models were used in which the effect of aggregation of particles, especially at low concentrations was ignored. In this research, the thermal conductivity of the nanofluid is measured experimentally at low volumetric concentrations, within the range of 0.02–0.2% for the nanoparticles of Al2O3, MgO, CuO, and SiC in the base fluid of distilled water. The results obtained from the models are compared by the available models considering and neglecting the effect of aggregation of particles. Within the range of the applied concentrations, the relative absolute average deviation ratio of the thermal conductivity models without considering the aggregation effect in relation with the models considering the aggregate, is observed to be between 2 and 6 times. Therefore, it is recommended that even at low concentrations, the effect of aggregation should be considered in the prediction of thermal conductivity.

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Abbreviations

C p :

Specific heat, J/kg K

d f :

Fractal dimension

k :

Thermal conductivity, W/m K

k B :

Stefan-Boltzmann constant, J/K

Mf :

Molecular weight of base fluid, kg/kmol

n(r cl ) :

Radius distribution function

NA :

Avogadro constant

r :

Mean radius, m

T :

Temperature, K

DLA:

Diffusion limited aggregation

DLS:

Dynamic light scattering

MG:

Maxwell-Granett

RAAD:

Relative absolute average deviation

ρ :

Density, kg/m3

φ :

Volume fraction

φ m :

Volume fraction of densely packed

η :

Viscosity, Pa s

δ :

Nanolayer thickness, m

σ:

Standard deviation

cl:

Cluster

eff:

Effective

f:

Base fluid

H:

Hydrodynamic

l:

Interfacial layer

p:

Nanoparticle

rel:

Relative

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their appreciation to the Petroleum University of Technology (PUT) for providing financial support for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

    Mohsen Motevasel & Ali Reza Solaimany Nazar

  2. Department of Petroleum Engineering, Petroleum University of Technology, Ahwaz, Iran

    Mohammad Jamialahmadi

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  1. Mohsen Motevasel
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  2. Ali Reza Solaimany Nazar
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  3. Mohammad Jamialahmadi
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Correspondence to Ali Reza Solaimany Nazar.

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Motevasel, M., Nazar, A.R.S. & Jamialahmadi, M. The effect of nanoparticles aggregation on the thermal conductivity of nanofluids at very low concentrations: Experimental and theoretical evaluations. Heat Mass Transfer 54, 125–133 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-017-2116-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-017-2116-2

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