Effects of Particle Shape on Nanofluids Laminar Forced Convection in Helically Coiled Tubes

Abstract

In this study, effects of particle morphology (shape and size) on nanofluids laminar forced convection in helically coiled tubes are investigated numerically using Eulerian-Lagrangian two-phase approach. The laminar forced convective heat transfer and pressure drop of Al2O3-water nanofluids containing nanoparticles with various particle shapes (sphere, platelet, blade, cylinder and brick) and sizes at different volume fractions in the developing and fully developed regions are investigated using the validated two-phase model. It is found that the nanofluids containing platelet particle shape has the highest heat transfer enhancement, which is followed by nanofluids containing cylinder, blade, sphere and brick nanoparticle shapes, respectively. Non-spherical nanoparticles with larger aspect ratio, small particle size and a suitable particle volume concentration are beneficial for heat transfer enhancement of forced convection. Heat transfer efficiency reaches minima at Re of 1250 for laminar forced convection with 1% volume fraction. The correlations of Nusselt number and pressure drop with nanoparticle shape and size were developed to predict convective heat transfer of nanofluids containing spherical nanoparticles and non-spherical nanoparticles.