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Simulation of Nanofluids Turbulent Forced Convection at High Reynolds Number: A Comparison Study of Thermophysical Properties Influence on Heat Transfer Enhancement

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Abstract

After many years of studying of nanofluids development, their thermophysical properties are not yet known precisely and the judgment of their true potential is difficult. This fact was demonstrated by studying numerically forced convection heat transfer at high Re of a nanofluid consisting of water and Al2O3 in horizontal tubes. Five different models from the literature are used to express the thermophysical properties in terms of particle loading and they led to different results in heat transfer enhancement. In particular, the heat transfer coefficient of water-based Al2O3 nanofluids is increased by 2.33–26.45 % under fixed high Reynolds number compared with that of pure water. As a conclusion, the effect of uncertainties in adopting nanofluids properties was observed.

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Abbreviations

A:

difference between wall and bulk temperatures

c:

specific heat

C:

constant

D:

hydraulic diameter

g:

gravitational acceleration

G:

generation of turbulent kinetic energy

h:

heat transfer coefficient

k:

thermal conductivity

L:

channel length

\(\dot {{m}}\) :

mass flow rate

Nu:

Nusselt number

p:

pressure

\(\bar {{P}}\) :

time averaged pressure

r:

radius

R:

tube radius

Pr:

Prandtl number

Re:

Reynolds number

T:

temperature

\(\bar {{T}}\) :

time averaged temperature

\(\bar {{T}}\) :

fluctuations in temperature

\(\bar {{{u}^{\prime }}}\) :

fluctuations in velocity

q:

wall heat flux

\(\dot {{Q}}\) :

heat transfer rate

x, y, z:

Cartesian coordinates

v:

velocity

\(\bar {{V}}\) :

time averaged velocity

\(\dot {{W}}\) :

pumping power

α:

thermal diffusivity

β:

ratio of the nanolayer thickness to the original particle radius

ε:

rate of dissipation

ϕ:

volume fraction of particles

ρ:

density

μ:

fluid dynamic viscosity

κ:

turbulent kinetic energy

σ:

effective Prandtl numbers

0:

refers to the reference (inlet) condition

b:

bulk

bf:

refers to base-fluid

eff:

effective

exit:

exit

f:

fluid

m:

mean

nf:

refers to nanofluid property

p:

particle

r:

refers to “nanofluid/base-fluid” ratio

t:

refers to eddy conditions

w:

wall

κ:

refers to turbulent kinetic energy

ε:

refers to rate of dissipation

–:

Five different models are used to express the thermophysical properties in terms of particle loading and they led to different quantitative results

–:

Heat transfer coefficient of water-based Al2O3 nanofluids is increased by 2.33–26.45% under fixed Re number compared with that of water.

–:

Enhancement of heat transfer coefficient is larger than that of the effective thermal conductivity at the same volume concentration

–:

Enhancement of heat transfer is strongly influenced by viscosity at the same volume concentration

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Technical University “Gheorghe Asachi” from Iasi, Iasi, Bd. D. Mangeron no.63, Iasi, 700050, Romania

    Alina Adriana Minea

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Correspondence to Alina Adriana Minea.

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Minea, A.A. Simulation of Nanofluids Turbulent Forced Convection at High Reynolds Number: A Comparison Study of Thermophysical Properties Influence on Heat Transfer Enhancement. Flow Turbulence Combust 94, 555–575 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10494-014-9590-0

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