Experimental and numerical investigation of forced convective heat transfer coefficient in nanofluids of Al2O3/water and CuO/EG in a serpentine shaped microchannel heat sink

Abstract

Nanofluid is the suspension of solid nanosized particles in conventional fluids. The important character of such fluids is the enhanced thermal conductivity, in comparison with base fluid without considerable alteration in physical and chemical properties. In this investigation nanofluids of Al2O3/water and CuO/Ethylene glycol were prepared separately. The effect of forced convective heat transfer coefficient was calculated using serpentine shaped microchannel heat exchanger. Furthermore we calculated the forced convective heat transfer coefficient of the nanofluids using theoretical correlations in order to compare the results with the experimental data. The heat transfer coefficient for different particle concentration and temperature were analysed using forced convection heat transfer using nanofluids. The findings indicate considerable enhancement in convective heat transfer coefficient of the nanofluids as compared to the basefluid. The results also shows that CuO/EG nanofluid has increased heat transfer coefficient compared with Al2O3/water and base fluids. Moreover the experimental results indicate there is increased forced convective heat transfer coefficient with the increase in nanoparticle concentration.