Al2O3 Nanofluid Research Articles

Investigation of entropy generation and thermohydraulic characteristics of Al2O3–CuO hybrid nanofluid flow in a pipe at different inlet fluid temperatures

This work investigates the thermohydraulic behavior and the rate of thermodynamic irreversibility of water-based Al2O3 and Al2O3 + CuO hybrid nanofluid (HNF) in a circular copper tube subjected to a constant heat flux (CHF) of 8625 W/m2. The fluids under discussion flow in a tube at inlet fluid temperatures of 30, 45, and 60 °C. The thermophysical characteristics of the Al2O3 and HNF were studied at various temperatures and concentrations. The Nusselt number (Nu), entropy generation number (EGN), and friction factor were determined for the HNF (0–1 vol%) at different ranges of Reynolds numbers (Re) from 7000 to 44,662. The outcome of the HNF for 1 vol% is compared with that of Al2O3 nanofluid (NF). The findings show that the maximum amplification of Nu is 51, 59, and 79.7% observed for 1 vol% of HNF compared to water at 30, 45, and 60 °C. The pressure drop (Δp) and exergy efficiency (ηexe) of HNF increases with concentration and Re. The friction factor of HNF rises with concentration; however, it reduces at higher Re. Total entropy generation (TEG) of HNF reduces at higher Re and concentration. The thermal performance factor (TPF) of HNF is determined at various inlet fluid temperatures. The highest and lowest TPF of 1.7 and 1.02 were found for 1 and 0.1 vol% of HNF at 60 and 30 °C, respectively. The novel regression equations were developed to estimate the Nu, TEG and friction factor of HNF. Overall, Al2O3 + CuO HNFs can be employed as an alternative fluids thermal system cooling.

Experimental investigation of a solar evacuated tube collector embedded with a heat pipe using different nanofluids and controlled mechanical exciting pulsations

Numerous studies have been conducted to enhance the thermal performance of evacuated tube solar thermal collectors using various techniques, such as different working fluids, concentrators, and modifications to the absorber design. This work presents a parametric study to improve the thermal performance of a solar-evacuated tube collector embedded with a heat pipe (SETCHP) by utilizing different types of nanofluids and controlled mechanical excitation. The experiment involved six identical SETCHPs operating under the same conditions, with one setup filled with pure acetone as a reference. The second and third setups were filled with (0.5% vol Al2O3)/based acetone and (0.5% vol CuO)/based acetone, respectively. The remaining three setups were modified by imposing controlled mechanical excitation with different frequencies (27–82 Hz) to investigate the effect of vibration on thermal performance. The results demonstrated that the optimal enhancement was achieved with mechanical vibration pulses at 82 Hz, improving efficiency by 91% and 86% with Al2O3/based acetone and CuO/based acetone, respectively. The enhancement percentage of effective heat transfer coefficient (EHTC) and convective heat transfer coefficient (CHTC) varied with solar intensity and vibration, with improvements ranging from 5 to 82% and 3–53%, 26–160% and 5–60%, and 6.5–140% and 6.5–54% for pure acetone, Al2O3, and CuO (0.5% vol) acetone-based nanofluids, respectively.

Electric field combined nanofluid to enhance photothermal efficiency of the direct absorption solar collector

Compared with conventional surface absorption collectors, nanofluid-based direct absorption solar collectors (DASC) have superior optical absorption performance and photothermal conversion efficiency. However, problems such as nanoparticles deposition and large temperature difference inside the collector still limit the development of DASC systems. To solve these problems, this paper firstly proposed to apply the electric field to manipulate the motion of nanoparticles to make the upper and lower nanofluids to exchange heat in the DASC system. The Al2O3-thermal oil nanofluids with the concentration of 0.01–0.3% are prepared, and the transmittance of the nanofluids and photothermal conversion as well as mechanism are performed and analyzed. The results show that the electric field can reduce the temperature difference inside the collector and improve the photothermal conversion efficiency of the DASC system. The temperature rise and photothermal conversion efficiency of 0.2 vol% Al2O3 nanofluid at voltage of 10 kV are 62.11 °C and 87.85%, which are 19.24% and 14.17% larger than those without electric field respectively. Under the action of electric field, the resuspension of deposited nanoparticles and heat transfer between upper and lower nanoparticles work together to improve the photothermal conversion efficiency of DASC system.

Experimental investigation of ultrasonic cycle/magnetic stirrer (UC/MS) effect on water/α -Al2O3 nanofluid stability and thermal conductivity and its ANFIS/PSO modeling

Nanoparticles suspended in a fluid can improve heat transfer and lubrication performance. In this study, a new method was selected to investigate water/α-Al2O3 nanofluid stability, so a combined approach (Ultrasonic Cycle/Magnetic Stirrer (UC/MS)) was used to this aim. Also, an adaptive neuro-fuzzy system (ANFIS) joined with particle swarm optimization (PSO) to predict the stability of α-Al2O3 nanofluid. The ultrasonic cycle showed that it can be considered a vital parameter in creating the stability of nanofluids. Nanofluid was prepared by UC/MS technique at different pHs, ultrasonic cycles, and concentrations of nanoparticles, which resulted in reliable stability. In this method, with 10 min of sonication operation with cycle 7, PH 11, and volume concentration of 0.25 vol%, the value of zeta potential reached −32.8 mV, while in other studies, to achieve zeta potential above ±30 mV, a sonication operation was performed for up to 120 min. Also, the effect of ultrasonic cycles includes 1, 3, and 7, pH and volume concentration of nanoparticles specifically investigated and showed that with the increases of the ultrasonic cycles, pH, and concentration, the value of zeta potential increased.

Thermophysical properties analysis of Al2O3, MgO and GO nanofluids with water for solar still

The conventional heat transfer fluid like water has limited potential to meet the needs of practical thermal applications. The current analysis is based on the comparative examination of the different heat transfer nanofluids (aqueous Al2O3, MgO, GO nanofluids) incorporated in the set-up of pyramid solar still, and their influence on the solar still performance was evaluated. The thermo physical properties of the prepared nano-suspensions were evaluated and studied. Dispersing nano-sized particles in the conventional heat transfer fluids (base fluid) significantly augments the thermo physical properties of the latter. This augmentation attained in the thermo physical properties depends upon the concentration of nanoparticles in the base fluid. Suspending Al2O3 nanoparticles in water at 1.0 wt% concentration results in the maximum increment of about 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% in the thermal conductivity, specific heat, dynamic viscosity, and density relative to that of water and suspending MgO nanoparticles in water at 1.0 wt% concentration results in the maximum increment of about 1%, 2%, 3% and 4% in the thermal conductivity, dynamic viscosity, specific heat and density relative to that of water. Utilizing 1.0 wt% Al2O3 mono-nanofluid as the heat transfer fluid in the set-up results in the maximum increment of about 38.52% in the distilled water yield relative to that attained using water. Utilizing 1.0 wt% MgO mono-nanofluid as heat transfer fluid in the set-up results in a maximum increment of about 48.91% in the distilled water yield relative to that attained using water. In this present study, the thermophysical properties of Al2O3, MgO, and GO with water were investigated experimentally.

Tribological performance of nanopowder blended bio-diesel

Biodiesel is renewable, sustainable, and an alternative fuel for compression ignition engines, and often recognized as a comparable fuel to diesel in diesel engines. This is due to a variety of factors, including less dependency on imported petroleum, less global warming, and lower diesel engine exhaust gas emissions. Cottonseed oil is converted into biodiesel by the well-known transesterification method. The ultrasonication approach is used to evaluate the bio - diesel B20 (0.8 %diesel + 0.2 %biodiesel) as well as B50 (0.5 % diesel + 0.5 %biodiesel) with Aluminum oxide nanoparticles in concentration of 50 and 100 ppm. The tribological properties of these blended samples are investigated at varied speeds and loads considering AISI 1040 steel disc with aluminium pins. The addition of Al2O3Nanoparticles helps in further enhancing the tribological properties of the biodiesel made of cotton seed oil. The results reveal that a properly concentrated Al2O3 nanofluid has strong tribological characteristics and has the capability to substitute conventional lubrication. The nanofluid has higher tribological qualities over pure cottonseed oil as well as boosts its performance substantially.

Effects of fluctuating heat flux on natural convection of Al2O3 and Cu nanofluids in a square enclosure: a lattice Boltzmann study

Effects of fluctuating heat flux on natural convection of Al2O3 and Cu nanofluids in a square enclosure: a lattice Boltzmann study

Comparative studies on thermal performance of spiraled rod inserts in laminar flow with nanofluids

The enhancement of heat transfer is primarily accomplished by nanofluids and inserts. In this study, the effect of spiralled rod inserts (SRIs) with three different kinds of nanofluids on thermal performance is investigated experimentally. Al2O3, CuO, and TiO2 nanoparticles are used. Two SRIs with different pitch sizes are used in this study (50 mm pitch, SRI-1 and 30 mm pitch SRI-2). Al2O3, CuO, and TiO2 nanoparticles are mixed with deionised (DI) water to make nanofluids. Two volume concentrations (VCs) (0.1 and 0.2%) of nanofluids are used. The Nusselt number rises by 11.4, 25.3, and 4.0%, respectively, for Al2O3, CuO, and TiO2 nanofluids having 0.2% VC in the smooth tube. Using Al2O3, CuO, and TiO2 nanofluids having 0.2% VC with SRI-2 improves the Nusselt number (Nu) by 29.6, 43.4, and 23%, respectively. The SRI-2 combined with CuO nanofluid having 0.2% VC produces a greater thermal performance factor (1.34).

Numerical investigation on cooling cylindrical lithium-ion-battery by using different types of nanofluids in an innovative cooling system

Temperature is known to greatly affect the efficiency, security, and cycle life of lithium-ion battery (LiB) cells. LiB cells are delicate to changes in temperature by using a variety of nanofluids. This study uses a novel cooling system with a Re between 15 × 103 and 30 × 103 to lower the cells' temperature. Al2O3, CuO, SiO2, and ZnO with nanoparticles concentrations of 5% and nanoparticle diameters of 20 nm dispersed in a base liquid (water) are used to produce the effects. The findings demonstrate that as the Re rises, so does the Nusselt number. An innovative cooling system is designed and numerically tested to show how different kinds of nanofluids affect the increment in heat transmission and distribution of temperature in LiB cells. The temperature of LiB cells drops by flowing the water between the 52 batteries inside the cooling pack. For each spacing value, the Reynolds numbers are increased, which results in an increase in the average Nusselt numbers. According to the computational fluids dynamics results, the Nusselt number rises with increasing spacing. The results show that Re of 18000, 22000, 25000, 27500, and >30000 are needed for SiO2 nanofluids, Al2O3 nanofluids, ZnO nanofluids, CuO nanofluids, and pure water, respectively, to get battery pack temperature of <40 °C (the typical operating conditions). Higher Re values improve the heat transfer slightly with the expense of pumping power; therefore, Re of 18000 with SiO2 nanofluids is preferred. The utilization of nanofluids also shows that SiO2 exhibits the best thermal cooling for battery packs among all investigated nanofluids. Al2O3 nanofluid is also an excellent option, followed by ZnO nanofluid. For example, the temperature reduction of the hottest battery cell reaches >47, 44, 43, 42, and 42 °C for SiO2 nanofluids, Al2O3 nanofluids, ZnO nanofluids, CuO nanofluids, and pure water, respectively.

Experimental and CFD analysis of fluid flow in rectangular strip based micro channel with nano fluid

Comparative analysis is conducted between nano fluid Al2O3 + CuO + H2O and water as basic fluid through simulation technique and validate it through experimental result. The effect of nano fluid (NF) and water were acknowledge which were flowing inside rectangular shape micro channel (RSMC) internally and externally time to time as per decided experiment sets with or without rectangular-strip micro-insert (RSMI), for observing the fluid flow behaviour, heat transfer attributes and performance characteristics. During preparation of nano fluid 0.05% − 0.1% volume fraction (vol.%), 10–20 nm size nano particles (NP) were taken with 0.5–0.75 ml CTAB as surfactant. Experimentation were conducted for diverse operating condition/parameters under counter-flow conditions, where NF is moving inside micro channel of less than 1 mm diameter having flow rate 0.0001562 to 0.006255 kg/sec. Hot fluid as water is moving inside the concentric-tube of 3.6 cm diameter with flow rate of 0.000782 kg/sec. The operating temperature of NF and hot fluid as water were 308 K and 323 K. As per observation, the results of proposed samples of NF with 0.1 vol% showed better performance than 0.05 vol% NF and water. It happens due to higher rate of thermal-conductivity achieved because NF gain extra molecular area with an addition of diverse NP with base fluid, where as better optimum results were observed with an enhancement of 8%-9% in case of RSMC with micro insert (M.I.) compared with other geometric model because high turbulency received due to extra-exposed area of M.I.. A close error percentage near about 4–5% was developed between experimental and simulation work. Thus it validates the present investigation.

Comparative analysis of fluid flow in mini channel with nano fluids and base fluid

Comparative study is carrying out between nano fluid Al2O3 + CuO + ZnO + H2O and water as solitary fluid through experimental and simulation result. The outcome of nano fluid and solo base fluid H2O flowing in middle rectangular mini channel with or without insert were admit, for study the conduct of fluid flow and heat exchange features. During composing of nano fluid 0.05%-0.1% volume fraction, 10–20 nm size nano particles were mixed with 0.5 ml CTAB surfactant. Experimentation were manage for different operating parameters under counter flow conditions, where nano fluid is flowing inside mini channel of 2 mm diameter with flow rate 0.0001562 to 0.006255 ml/min and hot water is flowing inside the concentric tube of 3.6 cm diameter with flow rate of 0.000782 ml/min. The operating temperature of nano fluid and hot water were 308 K and 323 K. As per obtained results, the proposed composition of nanofluid showed better performance than normal water due to better thermal conductivity and extra molecular area gain in nanofluid due to addition of nano particle with base fluid, where as better optimum results were observed in case of rectangular mini channel with macro insert compared with other geometry because of rich turbulency gain and extra exposed area due to macro insert.

Heat Transfer Enhancement in Laminar Pipe Flow Using Al2O3–Water Nanofluid and Twisted Tape Inserts

Abstract In this study, an attempt has been made to carry out a numerical investigation using water-based Al2O3 nanofluid, flowing through a circular tube under constant inlet temperature and constant heat flux conditions in the laminar flow regime. The water-based Al2O3 nanofluid is used in a circular plain tube first, and then, this process is repeated for the same tube fitted with twisted tape inserts of twist ratio 1.85 at Reynolds numbers ranging from 680 to 2030. For the numerical analysis, ANSYS FLUENT is used to solve three-dimensional conservation equations of mass, momentum, and energy. The simulated results indicate that when twisted tape is used, heat transfer rates increase significantly with the use of nanofluid. In the case of nanofluid with the plain tube, only 10–24% enhancement in heat transfer rate is noted. On the other hand, almost 27–45% increase in heat transfer is observed compared to that with only water when twisted tape is inserted into it. Also, the friction factor increases as the nanoparticle volume fraction increases. However, the effect on the heat transfer rate is more significant than that on the friction factor. The best thermohydraulic performance factor achieved is 2.1 using nanofluids with a 5% volume fraction of the nanoparticles at a high Reynolds number when twisted tape is also inserted.

Experimental study on the effect of graphene and Al2O3 nanofluids in a miniature flat heat pipe

The miniature flat heat pipe (mFHP) is a promising cooling technique for the thermal control of portable electronic appliances. The thermal behavior of miniature flat heat pipe (mFHP) with graphene-DI water and Al2O3-DI water-based nanofluid is experimentally investigated. The copper-made mFHP has dimensions of 200 mm in length, 10 mm in breadth, and 3 mm in thickness. The effect of nanofluid, tilt angle (0˚, 30˚, 45˚, 60˚ and 90˚), condenser cooling mode (natural convection and forced convection with fan cooling), and heat load on the effective thermal conductivity of mFHP are analyzed in this present work. The results reveal that the mFHP filled with nanofluid as working fluids shows better thermal performance as compared to those with the base fluid alone. The FHP filled with Al2O3-DI water nanofluid achieves the maximum effective thermal conductivity of 6271 W/mK under a heat load of 14 W and 60˚ orientation with natural convection condenser cooling. A heat pipe's wettability and capillary pressure are both enhanced by using nanofluid as the working fluid. As the optimum orientation of mFHP varies based on the combined effect of the type of nanofluid used in FHP, the heat load range, and the method of condenser cooling; hence it is very difficult to obtain its value analytically. Therefore, the experimental findings help in selecting the design parameters of mFHP for suitable applications.

Performance enhancement of a photovoltaic thermal system through two-phase nanofluid simulation in a channel equipped with novel artificial roughness

Photovoltaic cells play an unparalleled role in producing solar energy as they directly transform sunlight into electricity. The efficiency and longevity of these equipment are significantly restricted by high temperature, and it is crucial to have an efficient cooling system in place. A numerical study based on the two-phase method is performed to assess the potential of a new discrete V-shaped and staggered ribs as artificial roughness to enhance the cooling of photovoltaic cells. The potential of water–Al2O3 nanofluid at a 1% concentration as the coolant is analyzed. Four rib shapes are evaluated, including square, circular, elliptical, and triangular. Employing ribs induces six vortices in downstream leading to a superior mixing intensity and a higher Nusselt number, resulting in a lower photovoltaic module temperature of up to 4.94 K and an improvement in its electrical efficiency from 14.08 to 14.41%. The temperature of the photovoltaic module drops up to 6.31 K by using nanofluid compared with water which improves the electrical efficiency from 13.54 to 13.97%. The best cooling performance is achieved with a triangular-shaped rib. The integration of nanofluid and ribbed channel increases the Figure of Merit parameter up to 2.39, improving both the electricity production and thermal efficiency of the Photovoltaic Thermal system.

Tri-Hybrid Nanofluid Flow Towards Convectively Heated Stretching Riga Plate with Variable Thickness

An advanced tri-hybrid nanofluid model is studied for heat transfer in this current article. Tri-hybrid nanofluids are formed by involving three different types of nanoparticles in the base fluid. In the present study, the heat transfer characteristics of boundary layer flow of Al2O3–Cu–Ni/H2O tri-hybrid nanofluid have been studied on a convectively heated stretching Riga plate with variable thickness. The relevant governing boundary layer equations are transformed into a set of ordinary differential equations using appropriate similarity transformations which are solved using the bvp4c program in MATLAB. No previous investigation has been done on the flow of tri-hybrid nanofluid Al2O3–Cu–Ni/H2O past a convectively heated Riga plate of variable thickness to date. Consequently, to fill this gap, the present study has been taken out and the main aim of this work is to investigate the factors that enhance the heat transfer of base fluid (H2O) suspended with tri-hybrid nanoparticles (Al2O3, Cu, and Ni) past a convectively heated Riga plate with variable thickness. The plots obtained reveal that the variation in the non-dimensional physical parameters induced in the problem significantly affects the flow inside the boundary layer. The variation in skin friction coefficient and local Nusselt number are presented through graphs. Also, a comparative analysis of velocity and temperature profiles of nanofluid Al2O3/H2O, hybrid nanofluid Al2O3–Cu/H2O, and tri-hybrid nanofluid Al2O3–Cu-Ni/H2O has been displayed through graphs. The reason behind choosing the tri-hybrid nanoparticles Al2O3, Cu, and Ni was the stability and non-reactivity of Al2O3 with metals Cu and Ni which possess high thermal conductivity. The conducted study reveals that the heat transfer characteristics of tri-hybrid nanofluids are greater than that of hybrid and conventional nanofluids.

A detailed investigation of enhancement in heat transfer using Al2O3 nanofluid as coolant

In the current research, enhancement in the film and transition boiling regime is tried to obtain using Al2O3 nanofluid as coolant. The coolant properties such as physical, thermal and interfacial and the droplet dynamics during evaporation are the prime controlling factors for defining the effectiveness of dropwise evaporative cooling. In the current study, aluminium oxide nanoparticle with water is considered as coolant. The quality of the aluminium oxide nanoparticle has been confirmed by performing various characterizations such as X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectroscopy and transmission electron microscope. Using aluminium oxide + water as the coolant, the augmentation was obtained by altering the thermo-physical properties of the coolant in the favourable direction of heat transfer. The thermal analysis and the comparative study ensures step up in heat transfer. With the increase in the concentration of nanoparticles from 0.1%–0.2% in the base fluid, the evaporation rate increases significantly due to the decrease in the residence time, increase in the maximum spreading diameter and minimisation or elimination in blasting characteristics.

A REVIEW OF POOL BOILING HEAT TRANSFER PROPERTIES BY NANOFLUID

Boiling heat transfer has maintained a high degree of interest due to the range of its applications in the energy sector. In recent years, much research has focused on improving the nucleate pool boiling by modifying the fluid properties. In this review article, the basic properties and characteristics of Al2O3 nanofluids and few other nanofluids are explored and discussed through past research findings. Next, previous studies that involved pool boiling heat transfer enhancement using Al2O3 nanofluid and its performance in terms of critical heat flux (CHF) and heat transfer coefficient (HTC) are further highlighted. These studies have employed methods that affected the performance of CHF and HTC such as electric field and surface modification. Maximum enhancement in CHF measured is approximately 200%. On the other hand, usage of prediction models to predict enhancements are also discussed thoroughly. Regardless of boiling performance enhancements with the deployment of nanofluids, several concerns must first be addressed before it is able to be deployed for practical use.

Comparison and evaluation of energetic and exergetic performance of an evacuated tube solar collector using various nanofluid

There is a growing interest in renewable energy sources cause the worsening impact of fossil fuel development and abuse on the ecological environment. Solar collectors are major facilities that utilize solar energy, many studies and techniques have been employed to increase the efficiency of the collectors. This paper aims to evaluate the thermal performance of an evacuated tube solar collector(ETSC) in the solar thermal system by using Al2O3, CuO, Fe3O4 and Multi-walled carbon nanotube(MWCNT) nanofluid as working fluids. An evaluation approach for the energy, exergy and entropy of ETSC were proposed. Furthermore, the energy gained and stored by nanofluid in the solar collector was also been studied. The ETSC shown highest energy and exergy efficiency when the 0.01 vol%-MWCNT nanofluid was used which was 33.1% higher than that of water, and it was the same situation of exergy efficiency while the highest was 3.17 under the optimum situation. In addition, the energy gained by 0.01 vol%-MWCNT nanofluid showed the highest potential of energy absorption than other nanofluid, the maximum exergy destruction and entropy generation were achieved when water was used as working fluid of solar collector while the lowest were observed when MWCNT nanofluid with 0.01 vol% was used. Compared to normal working fluid in the ETSC, the use of nanofluid with high thermal conductivity can save more fossil fuels and coals which have a positive effect on protecting the environment.

Electrical and thermal performance enhancement of a photovoltaic thermal hybrid system with a novel inner plate-finned collective cooling with different nanofluids

ABSTRACT In the present study, an experimental and mathematical analysis was performed in a novel nanofluid-based collective cooling consisting of inner-plate heat fins in order to explore a photovoltaic-thermal (PV/T) system efficiency for Al2O3, TiO2, and CuO-based nanofluids. The electrical efficiency increase, temperature decrease in the panel surface, thermal efficiency increase, and heat transfer performance of Al2O3-water, TiO2-water and CuO-water nanofluids which were prepared in three different ratios (0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.6%, in mass) and constant fluid flow rates were investigated. The highest electrical efficiency increase was observed in the 0.2% nanofluid Al2O3-water, at amount of 1.467% that correspond to 5.49% increase rate. The highest panel temperature drops were observed at the rate of 0.2% nanoparticles of Al2O3-water, TiO2-water, and CuO-water. The highest thermal efficiency was observed in the Al2O3-water nanofluid with 0.2% nanoparticles as the amount of 49.59% in average. For 0.2% nanofluid cooling, the averages of panel temperature drops were 13.28 ºC, 11.64 ºC, 11.06 ºC, and 9.14 ºC for TiO2-water, Al2O3-water, CuO-water nanofluid cooled panels, and water-cooled panel, respectively. Finally, appropriate amount of nanofluid cooling not exceeded 0.4% can be recommended in practical application for its benefits on improving the efficiency of system.

Effect of inclination angle on the thermal-hydraulic characteristics and entropy generation of Al2O3–water nanofluid for in-tube turbulent flow

PurposeInclination angle has been reported to have an enhancing effect on the thermal-hydraulic characteristics and entropy of some thermal systems. Therefore, this paper aims to numerically investigate the effects of inclination angle, volume concentration and Reynolds number on the thermal and hydraulic characteristics and entropy generation rates of water-based Al2O3 nanofluids through a smooth circular aluminum pipe in a turbulent flow.Design/methodology/approachA constant heat flux of 2,000 Watts is applied to the circular surface of the tube. Reynolds number is varied between 4,000 and 20,000 for different volume concentrations of alumina nanoparticles of 0.5%, 1.0% and 2.0% for tube inclination angles of ±90o, ±60o, ±45o, ±30o and 0o, respectively. The simulation is performed in an ANSYS Fluent environment using the realizable kinetic energy–epsilon turbulent model.FindingsResults show that +45o tube orientation possesses the largest thermal deviations of 0.006% for 0.5% and 1.0% vol. concentrations for Reynolds numbers 4,000 and 12,000. −45o gives a maximum pressure deviation of −0.06% for the same condition. The heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop give maximum deviations of −0.35% and −0.39%, respectively, for 2.0% vol. concentration for Reynolds number of 20,000 and angle ±90o. A 95%–99.8% and 95%–98% increase in the heat transfer and total entropy generation rates, respectively, is observed for 2.0% volume concentration as tube orientation changes from the horizontal position upward or downward.Originality/valueResearch investigating the effect of inclination angle on thermal-hydraulic performance and entropy generation rates in-tube turbulent flow of nanofluid is very scarce in the literature.