CFD-Based Comparative Performance Analysis of Different Nanofluids Used in Automobile Radiators

Abstract

In this research, four different water-based nanofluids $$(\hbox {Al}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3}$$ , $$\hbox {TiO}_{2}$$ , ZnO, and $$\hbox {SiO}_{2})$$ are used in a horizontal flat tube radiator. CFD-based thermal analyses were performed to predict the heat transfer rate and pressure drop across the radiator. During the analysis, inlet velocity of air and working fluid were kept the same. The effect of volumetric concentration was analyzed. A two-phase mixture model was used to capture the flow behavior of nanofluids. The results of CFD analyses revealed that the nanofluids have better overall heat transfer. ZnO and $$\hbox {Al}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3}$$ show better thermal properties with an increase of 4.9 to 15%, while other two nanofluids have a very small increase in heat transfer from 0 to 4%. However, the pressure drop in the radiator increased with the increase in volume fraction.