An experimental study of thermosyphon performance using nanofluids and carbon nanotubes

• Main Author: Wong, Simon Yu Zhan.
• Other Authors: Leong Kai Choong
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Nanotechnology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/54012
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Nanofluids are a new class of heat transfer fluids of interest of many researchers. Many journals and reports have many different explanations and theories for heat transfer of nanofluids. In this report, pool boiling in a thermosyphon was investigated to accertain whether nanofluids will cause enhancement in heat transfer. This study investigated two different types of nanoparticles based on suspended in the same base fluid. The base fluid use was 50% ethylene glycol and 50% deionised water. The two nanoparticles chosen are Al2O3, and Fe2O3. This report will also focus on presenting the heat transfer properties of nanofluids with different concentrations and nanoparticle sizes. All two nanofluids were made by the two step method process. Surfactant (CTAB) was used to stabilise the naonfluids. The nanofluids concentrations investigated in this study are 0.1% and 1%. The nanoparticles size used for analysis for both Al2O3 and Fe2O3 will be 200 nm size and 150nm size. The results show heat transfer enhancement of 25.8% when there was just 1% of nanoparticles and the heat transfer increases when the concentration of nanofluid was increased. Another important parameter tested was nanoparticle size. The effect of the particle size proved an inverse relation for both tests- particle size decreases, the heat flux enhances.