CRITICAL HEAT FLUX ENHANCEMENT IN POOL BOILING WITH AL2O3-WATER NANOFLUID

Abstract

Boiling is an important phase change phenomena as it plays a crucial role in the design of high heat flux system like boilers, heat exchangers, microscopic heat transfer devices. However boiling phenomenon is limited by critical heat flux. At critical heat flux material of heated surface suffers physical damage due to lower heat transfer resulting from thin film formed over the surface. Now a days Nanofluid which is colloidal suspension of nanoparticle in base fluid is highlighted as innovative techniques to enhance critical heat flux. In the present study Al2O3 nanoparticles were characterized by using SEM and XRD analysis. From SEM images it was seen that nanoparticle has spherical morphology, and from XRD analysis average nanoparticle size determined was 29.48 nm. Five different nanofluids of concentration range from 3 gram/liter to 15 gram/liter were prepared. Critical heat flux (CHF) of each Al2O3-water nanofluid in pool boiling is determined on NiCr wire of SWG 28. The minimum critical heat flux enhancement is 30.53% at 3 gram/liter nanofluid compared to critical heat flux of distilled water. The highest critical heat flux enhancement is 72.70 % at 12 gram/liter nanofluid. Critical heat flux of nanofluid increases with increase in concentration of Al2O3 nanoparticle in distilled water up to 12 gram/liter nanofluid. Surface roughness of bare wire was 0.126 μm. Surface roughness of wire sample used in pool boiling of 3 gram/liter nanofluid is 0.299μm and highest surface roughness was 0.715 μm of heater used in pool boiling of 12 gram/liter nanofluid. The Surface roughness measurement results show the evidence of nanoparticle deposition on wire surface and its effect on Critical Heat Flux enhancement.