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Nanocomposites are formed by combining conducting polymers and inorganic nanoparticles. In this study, nanocomposites of Ni-Zn ferrite were tested to determine the variation in their thermal properties. A thermal analyzer was used to measure thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of the composites using the transient plane source (TPS) method over a temperature range of 30 to 140°C. Results indicate that thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of Ni-Zn ferrites in a copolymer matrix of aniline formaldehyde depend both on temperature and concentration of zinc in the composite.
Nanofluids are heat transfer fluids with enhanced thermal conductivity properties due to the addition of metallic-based nanoparticles. In this study, the thermal properties of Al¬2O3 and TiO2 nanofluids were examined to evaluate their usefulness in microchannel heat sink applications. A thermal constants analyzer measured the thermal conductivity of the nanofluids using the transient plane source (TPS) method. Results showed that thermal conductivity increased with volume fraction of nanofluids, and the TiO2 nanofluids enhanced thermal conductivity more than the Al¬2O3 nanofluids.
Nanofluids are used in heat sink applications to improve the rate of heat dissipation and reduce temperature gradients in electronics. This study specifically examined the thermal properties of Al2O3-H2O nanofluids used in micro heat sinks. An instrument measured the thermal conductivity of the Al2O3-H2O nanofluids using the transient plane source (TPS) method. Results showed that, as expected, thermal conductivity increased with the concentration of Al2O3 nanoparticles in the base fluid.
Thermally conductive nanoparticles are often added to conventional fluids to improve thermal properties. In this paper, the effect of small concentrations of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on thermal conductivity over a range of temperatures was tested. A Thermal Constant Analyser measured the thermal conductivity of the nanofluids with the transient plane source (TPS) method from 10 to 80 °C. Results showed that thermal conductivity of the nanofluids increased with temperature, and with nanoparticle concentration. The nanofluids also showed impressive stability over time; a characteristic that could be used for applications in coolant systems.
Water is being used to absorb incident light for use in solar power applications. Adding nanoparticles to water improves the solar collection efficiency. In this paper, a Thermal Analyzer measured the thermal conductivity of the nanofluids using the transient plane source (TPS) method. Results showed that the thermal conductivity of the nanofluids increased with temperature and nanoparticle concentration.
