Heat Transfer Enhancement of an Automobile Engine Radiator using ZnO Water Base Nanofluids

Abstract

In this research paper, the forced convective heat transfer enhancement of a Suzuki Mehran (VXR) 2016 radiator (heat exchanger) along with pressure drop and friction factor by utilizing Zinc oxide (ZnO) water based nanofluids has been experimentally studied. Three types of nanofluids with different volumetric concentrations of ZnO nanoparticles (0–0.3%) were employed in order to understand its effect on heat transfer enhancement. The experimental setup was completely designed as closely as possible to the car cooling system. The experimentation has been done under laminar flow conditions (186≤Re≤1127) at different fluid volume flow rates (2–12 L/min) and constant fluid inlet temperature (70°C) to the automobile radiator. A maximum enhancement in heat transfer rate, overall heat transfer coefficient and Nusselt number was obtained up to 41%, 50% and 31% by using nanofluid with 0.2% volumetric concentration of nanoparticles respectively. On the other hand, the mean enhancement in pressure drop and friction factor was obtained up to 47% and 46% by using nanofluid with the same volumetric concentration of nanoparticles i.e. 0.2% respectively. The experimental results also revealed that the heat transfer rate, overall heat transfer coefficient and Nusselt number of nanofluids increases by increasing the volume flow rates and volumetric concentration of nanoparticles. However, these thermal performance parameters of nanofluids started to decline when the volumetric concentration of nanoparticles was increased from 0.2% to 0.3%. Furthermore, pressure drop and friction factor of nanofluids increase by increasing the volumetric concentration of nanoparticles, while pressure drop increases and friction factor decreases by increasing the volume flow rate of nanofluids respectively. At the end, the thermal efficiency of automobile radiator with high cooling rates was obtained by using nanofluid with 0.2% volumetric concentration of nanoparticles.