Heat transfer analysis of a shell and tube heat exchanger operated with graphene nanofluids

Abstract

Nanofluids have attracted huge attention because of their effective physical and thermal properties. One of many applications of nanofluids is the enhancement of the thermal performance of heat exchangers. In the current study, an experimental investigation has been conducted for studying the effects of graphene nanofluids on the convective heat transfer in a vertical shell and tube heat exchanger. Graphene flakes were prepared using graphite foam that is derived from sugar as a raw material. The prepared Graphene flakes have been characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The graphene nanofluid has been used in the tube side of the heat exchanger to enhance its heat transfer performance. Different parameters such as nanofluids’ concentration, flow rate and inlet temperature were studied and their effects on heat transfer coefficient and thermal efficiencies are discussed. The results show that using of graphene/water nanofluids enhances the thermal performance of the vertical shell and tube heat exchanger. A maximum increase in the heat transfer coefficient of 29% was achieved using 0.2% graphene/water nanofluids. Furthermore, the mean thermal efficiency of the heat exchanger was enhanced by 13.7% by using graphene/water nanofluid.