Experimental investigation into the pool boiling heat transfer of aqueous based γ-alumina nanofluids

Abstract

This paper is concerned about pool boiling heat transfer using nanofluids, a subject of several investigations over the past few years. The work is motivated by the controversial results reported in the literature and the potential impact of nanofluids on heat transfer intensification. Systematic experiments are carried out to formulate stable aqueous based nanofluids containing γ-alumina nanoparticles (primary particle size 10–50 nm), and to investigate their heat transfer behaviour under nucleate pool boiling conditions. The results show that alumina nanofluids can significantly enhance boiling heat transfer. The enhancement increases with increasing particle concentration and reaches ∼ ∼40% at a particle loading of 1.25% by weight. Discussion of the results suggests that the reported controversies in the thermal performance of nanofluids under the nucleate pool boiling conditions be associated with the properties and behaviour of the nanofluids and boiling surface, as well as their interactions.