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Kerosene is used as a coolant in engines, however like many conventional heat transfer fluids, it has a low thermal conductivity. Nanofluids are suspensions of thermally conductive nanometer sized particles in a base fluid. This paper explores the thermal properties of a Kerosene based nanofluid with copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles. The thermal conductivity meter measured the thermal conductivity of copper oxide/Kerosene nanofluids using the transient plane source (TPS) technique. Nanofluid samples of 60 ml ranging from 0.01-0.08% concentration were measured for 20 seconds at 25mW. Results showed that the thermal conductivity of the CuO/Kerosene nanofluid increased with CuO concentration up to a certain point, then slightly declined.
This paper examined the properties that affected the thermal conductivity of Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3) nanofluids with a base fluid of propylene glycol. Samples were prepared with volumetric percentages of 0.2%, 2%, and 3% Al2O3, and 22 replicates were completed over time. A Thermtest Transient Plane Source TPS measured the thermal conductivity of the nanofluids. Results showed that the 3% Al2O3/propylene glycol solution had the highest thermal conductivity.
Nanofluid research is focused on two specific areas of testing: synthesizing new nanofluids with enhanced thermal properties, and finding new applications for nanofluids. Nanofluids are conventional heat transfer fluids with suspensions of thermally conductive nanoparticles. In this study, TiO2 (titanium dioxide) nanoparticles are used to enhance the base fluid propylene glycol (PG). The Thermal Constants Analyzer measured the thermal conductivity of the TiO2/PG nanofluid using the transient plane source (TPS) method. The measurements were recorded between 20-80 °C, and for volume concentrations of 0.1% and 0.5%. Results showed that the thermal conductivity of the solution increased with nanofluid concentration and temperature, indicating that TiO2/PG nanofluids would be effective heat transfer fluids for commercial applications.
Silver (Ag) has the highest thermal conductivity of all metals, making it an attractive nanoparticle for use in heat transfer systems. The shape of nanoparticles influences their thermal conductivity, so three varieties of Ag nanoparticles were tested in this study. The Thermal Constants Analyser measured the thermal conductivity of Ag nanospheres (NSs), nanowires (NWs), and nanoflakes (NFs) between 10-30 °C using the transient plane source (TPS) method. Results showed that the thermal conductivity of the nanoparticles generally increased with temperature. The rod-shaped Ag NWs reached higher thermal conductivities than the spherical Ag NSs and the irregularly shaped Ag NFs, and therefore would be the most effective Ag nanoparticles for use in nanofluids.
