Optimization of Performance of Heat Exchanger through Nano Fluid Particles

Abstract

This paper study about the use nanofluid as base fluid, stability control, thermo- physical properties, pressure drop and CFD Analysis. Our project is based on CFD Analysis “Performance Analysis of Heat Exchanger” using Fluent. This paper presents the effect of using Al2O3 nanofluid in shell and tube type heat exchanger, addition surfactant on nanofluid for long term stability, and also shows the changes in heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop. Upon geometrical optimization, the first phase of this work aims at studying the influence of Al2O3 nanofluid at 0.2% concentrations size of 20nm by admitting water along the shell side and Al2O3 nanofluid along the tube side and also water as base fluid having water in both shell and tube side of heat exchanger. The shell and tube heat exchanger of various geometrical configurations is modelled using ANSYS 2019 R3. The heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics through the heat exchanger are obtained by using ANSYS Fluent CFD. Temperature, pressure contours and velocity streamlines of the shell and tube heat exchanger are obtained for various geometrical configurations and for 0.2% volume concentration of nanofluid. The use of nanofluid resulted in increase of both the pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient. The heat transfer coefficient is increased by 7.6% than water by using 0.2% volume fraction Al2O3 nanofluid and pressure drop is increased upto 11%.