Comparison of thermal conductivity of water-based nanofluids with various combinations of MWCNT, CuO, and SiO2 nanoparticles for using in heating systems

Abstract

The application of nanofluids (NFs) with improved efficiency and performance is currently a major problem for many industrial sectors. By comparing two water-based NFs (with identical nanoparticles (NPs) but with different participation percentages), this research is attempted to present a more optimal NF for industrial applications. As a result, MWCNT (50%)-CuO(25%)-SiO2(25%)/Water NFs and MWCNT (10%)-CuO (20%)-SiO2(70%)/Water NFs were synthesized, and their thermal conductivities (TC) were compared. In the same experimental settings as the second NF, the first NF with the mixture of MWCNT (50%)-CuO (25%)-SiO2(25%)/Water possesses more thermal conductivity enhancement (TCE). TCE increases by 37.10% for the first NF but only by 16.20% for the second.