Ionanofluids: New Heat Transfer Fluids for Green Processes Development

Abstract

Ionanofluids represent a new and innovative class of heat transfer fluids that encompass multiple disciplines like nanoscience, mechanical, and chemical engineering. Apart from fascinating thermophysical properties, the most compelling feature of ionanofluids is that they are designable and fine-tunable through base ionic liquids. Besides presenting results on thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity of ionanofluids as a function of temperature and concentration of multiwall carbon nanotubes, findings from a feasibility study of using ionanofluids as replacement of current silicon-based heat transfer fluids in heat transfer devices such as heat exchangers are also reported. By comparing results on thermophysical properties and estimating heat transfer areas for both ionanofluids and ionic liquids in a model shell and tube heat exchanger, it is found that ionanofluids possess superior thermophysical properties particularly thermal conductivity and heat capacity and require considerably less heat transfer areas as compared to those of their base ionic liquids. This chapter is dedicated to introducing, analyzing, and discussing ionanofluids together with their thermophysical properties for their potential applications as heat transfer fluids. Analyzing present results and other findings from pioneering researches, it is found that ionanofluids show great promises to be used as innovative heat transfer fluids and novel media for the exploitation of green energy technologies.