A numerical study on heat transfer performance using nanofluids in liquid cooling for cylindrical battery modules

Abstract

The study investigates the heat transfer performance of nanofluids in liquid cooling for cylindrical battery modules. Two types of NFs, CuO/EG-water and Al2O3/EG-water, were used along with a base fluid of ethylene glycol–water (EG-water 50 %). The energy equations consider the effects of viscous dissipation and heat generation. The model produced a nonlinear system of partial differential equations (PDEs) that can be converted into ordinary differential equations (ODEs) by using appropriate similarity variables. The ODEs are then solved numerically using the shooting process in combination with the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method. The results for several parameters related to thermal, velocity fields, drag force, and HT rate are shown in the 2D and 3D simulations. The study provides insights into thermal and velocity profiles, fractional drag force, and heat transfer rate in a nanofluid flow around a cell in a cylindrical LIB module. According to the findings, the increase in volume fraction enhances the temperature of the two nanoparticles by (36.52 %, 44.20 %), respectively. CuO:EG-water nanofluids achieve ideal temperatures 7.68 % more quickly than Al2O3/EG-water nanofluids due to their distinct thermophysical properties. CuO/EG-water nanofluids show a 56.47 % temperature increase due to heat variation, whereas Al2O3/EG nanofluids experience a 16.30 % temperature decrease at Q < 0. Moreover, the drag force grows by 45.36 % and 47.94 %, while heat transfer increases by 50.17 % and 58.38 % due to nanoparticles. CuO:EG-water nanofluids exhibit better heat transfer performance, surpassing Al2O3:EG-water nanofluids by 8.20 %.