Chapter 4 - Hybrid nanofluids as a heat transferring media

Abstract

Heat transferring media played a very effective role to transport the desired amount of heat from a system. Heat transfer is required in almost all fields of engineering and industry. Technological advancement demands compact and effective systems. It is a very daunting task for manufacturers to transfer the enormous amount of heat from the compact systems. Conventional fluids available in market like water, ethylene glycol, and oils failed to transport such a huge amount of heat. This is why investigators are always endeavoring to invent the fluids having enhanced thermal characteristics. After the invention of nanofluids (fluids having metallic nanoparticles suspension) in 1995, investigators conducted a number of studies to prove the nanofluids effectiveness and found an augmentation in natural and forced convection heat transfer, but failed to introduce on commercial or even on domestic level. Recently researchers introduced the advanced class of nanofluids named hybrid nanofluids (suspension of two or more types of nanoparticles in base fluid). Presented study provides a brief discussion on the natural and forced convection of hybrid nanofluids in various thermal systems, parameters needed careful considerations, and the models developed or used for the prediction of heat transfer. In addition, present study will facilitate the young scholars and investigators to study the different combinations of nanoparticles and analyze the heat transfer characteristics.