There are very few detailed experimental investigations about the heat transfer behavior of nanofluids in microchannel. The heat transfer behavior of nanofluids in microchannel is investigated. Two microchannels with hydraulic diameters 218 and 303 μm are fabricated by wet etching process on silicon wafer. An experimental set-up having provision of flow in the channel and temperature measurement along with bottom wall temperature is built-up. Alumina nanofluids with concentrations of 0.25 vol. %, 0.5 vol. %, and 1 vol. % with 45 nm are prepared, stabilized, and characterized by standard methods. The thermal conductivity and viscosity used in the study were measured and analyzed. The base fluids used are water and ethylene glycol. The effect of volume fraction, channel size, particle size, and base fluids are presented and analyzed. An important phenomenon of dispersion is observed. In addition, numerical modeling is carried out by using discrete phase approach. Shear induced particle migration is identified to be the reason of difference for dispersion of particles. The Brownian and thermophoretic forces are responsible for major changes in particle concentration and their movement. Also, it was found that better heat transfer characteristics can be obtained by higher concentration of nanofluids and by low viscous base fluids.
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December 2011
This article was originally published in
Journal of Heat Transfer
Research Papers
Experimental and Numerical Investigation Into the Heat Transfer Study of Nanofluids in Microchannel
Pawan K. Singh,
Pawan K. Singh
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras
, Chennai 600036, India
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P. V. Harikrishna,
P. V. Harikrishna
Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras
, Chennai 600036, India
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T. Sundararajan,
T. Sundararajan
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras
, Chennai 600036, India
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Sarit K. Das
e-mail: skdas@iitm.ac.in
Sarit K. Das
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras
, Chennai 600036, India
Search for other works by this author on:
Pawan K. Singh
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras
, Chennai 600036, India
P. V. Harikrishna
Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras
, Chennai 600036, India
T. Sundararajan
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras
, Chennai 600036, India
Sarit K. Das
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras
, Chennai 600036, India
e-mail: skdas@iitm.ac.in
J. Heat Transfer. Dec 2011, 133(12): 121701 (9 pages)
Published Online: October 6, 2011
Article history
Received:
October 12, 2010
Revised:
May 29, 2011
Accepted:
June 13, 2011
Online:
October 6, 2011
Published:
October 6, 2011
Citation
Singh, P. K., Harikrishna, P. V., Sundararajan, T., and Das, S. K. (October 6, 2011). "Experimental and Numerical Investigation Into the Heat Transfer Study of Nanofluids in Microchannel." ASME. J. Heat Transfer. December 2011; 133(12): 121701. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4004430
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