Investigation of thermal properties of graphene-silicone oil nanofluid

Abstract

All electronic and mechanical devices are getting modified and modernized in compact sizes to increase performance. The thermal management of these systems is challenging because of the high heat rate from compact devices. Improper thermal management leads to short circuits in the electronics and poor performance in mechanical devices because the overheating and converting into waste pollutes the environment. This work attempts to prepare stable and homogeneous nanofluid with graphene nanoplatelets as the nanoparticles and silicone oil as the base fluid and evaluate the trend of thermal conductivity and viscosity of the prepared nanofluid for varying temperatures from 30 °C to 55 °C. Our attention is also on the ultrasonication time of prepared silicone oil graphene nanofluids. So, three ultrasonication times of 1 h, 2 h, and 3 h are chosen to check the effect of ultrasonication time on the nanofluid's thermodynamic properties (thermal conductivity and viscosity). In this work, nanofluids of particle concentrations 0.05 %, 0.1 %, and 0.15 % weight of 3 each for different ultrasonication times of 1 h, 2 h, and 3 h are prepared. The sodium lauryl sulphate was used as a surfactant for better stability of particles. The thermal conductivity test was conducted with thermal conductivity apparatus works on Debye's concept and calculated with a modified Bridgman equation. A rheometer was used for the viscosity measurement. This nanofluid is used as a coolant in transformers, automobile fan-clutch assemblies, and coolant in international space station radiators.