Characterization of Thermal Conductivity and Viscosity of Nanofluids with Aqueous Base Fluids

Abstract:

Two different nanofluids (SiO₂ – EG/DW and SiO₂ – DW) with various volume fractions are prepared by dispersing SiO₂ nanoparticles (< 20 nm) into two different types of base fluid: distilled water and ethylene glycol/distilled water mixture. The effective thermal conductivity and viscosity of nanofluids are characterized and compared over a temperature range of 25^oC - 50^oC. It is found that the effective thermal conductivity and viscosity of nanofluid are influenced by the nanoparticle volume fraction and the operating temperature. The thermal conductivity of the SiO₂ nanofluids with different volume concentrations increases as temperature increases while the viscosity decreases with the increasing temperature. The base fluid alters the characteristics of both the thermal conductivity and viscosity of nanofluid. Over the same range of operating temperature, the effective thermal conductivity and viscosity of SiO₂ – EG/DW nanofluid manifest stronger dependency on the nanoparticle concentration compared to those of water-base-fluid nanofluid.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volume 1101)
• Pages: 344-347
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.1101.344
• Online since: April 2015
• Authors: Kim Soon Nah, Yew Mun Hung*
• Keywords: Nanofluids, Thermal Conductivity, Viscosity

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