Enhanced Heat Transfer of Carbon Nanotube Nanofluid Microchannels Applied on Cooling Gallium Arsenide Cell

Abstract

Carbon nanotube nanofluids have wide application prospects due to their unique structure and excellent properties. In this study, the thermal conductivity properties of carbon nanotube nanofluids and SiO2/water nanofluids were compared and analyzed experimentally using different preparation methods. The physical properties of nanofluids were tested using a Malvern Zetasizer Nano Instrument and a Hot Disk Thermal Constant Analyzer. Combined with field synergy theory analysis of the heat transfer performance of nanofluids, results show that the thermal conductivity of carbon nanotube nanofluids is higher than that of SiO2/water nanofluids, and the thermal conductivity of nanofluid rises with the increase of mass fraction and temperature. Moreover, the synergistic performance of carbon nanotube nanofluids is also superior to that of SiO2/water nanofluids. When the mass fraction of the carbon nanotube nanofluids is 10% and the SiO2/water nanofluids is 8%, their field synergy numbers and heat transfer enhancement factors both reach maximum. From the perspective of the preparation method, the thermal conductivity of nanofluids dispersed by high shear microfluidizer is higher than that by ultrasonic dispersion. This result provides some reference for the selection and use of working substance in a microchannel cooling concentrated photovoltaic and thermal (CPV/T) system.