Experimental study of heat transfer in a double pipe exchanger using nanofluids: solar application

Abstract

Paper presented at the 6th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, South Africa, 30 June - 2 July, 2008.

Recently, a new class of fluid made up of metal nano-particles in suspension in a liquid, called nanofluid, appeared. Some numerical studies have shown that these new fluids have a higher heat transfer performance, compared with the conventional liquids. In the present study, we have attempted to study, by experimentation, the thermal performances of a particular nanofluid composed of aluminum oxide (γAl2O3) particles dispersed in ethylene glycol 30% for various concentrations ranging from 0 to 2 %. The experimental set up is a coaxial exchanger, which is destined to solar application, in which the heating liquid used is the nanofluid studied.