Performance of Heat Exchanger with Nanofluids

Abstract

The effect of adding nanomaterial of aluminum oxide (Al2O3), titanium oxide (TiO2) and zirconium oxide (ZrO2) in different concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, and 1.25 g/L to the cold fluid (water) turbulently flowing with different flow rates of 75, 100, 125, 150, and 175 L/min in tube side countercurrently to hot water flowing with a constant flow rate of 60 L/min in the shell side of shell and tube heat exchanger on the heat transfer rates and overall heat transfer coefficients are experimentally studied. It is found that the addition of nanomaterials gives rise to outlet cold (nano) fluids temperatures causing to enhancement averagely 7.74, 11.25, and 17.38 percent for ZrO2, TiO2, and Al2O3 respectively in heat transfer rate and averagely 12.72, 19.47, and 28.71 percent for ZrO2, TiO2, and Al2O3 respectively in overall heat transfer coefficients. The maximum enhancement values in heat transfer rates and in overall heat transfer coefficients are attained at a flow rate of 150 L/min of cold fluid.