A General Model for Thermal Conductivity and Electric Conductivity of Nanofluids

Abstract:

Nanoparticles in nanofluids are in the form of nanoparticle clusters caused by aggregation. In order to calculate the thermal and electric conductivity of the nanofluids, the growth process and three-dimensional space structure of the nanoparticle cluster in the host fluid is simulated, and then the thermal and electric conductivity of the cluster are calculated with the resistance network method. The thermal and electric conductivity of the nanofluid are calculated based on the simulated thermal and electric conductivity of nanoparticle clusters, the volume fraction of nanoparticle clusters to the nanofluid as well as the liquid molecule adsorption layer of the nanoparticle. The simulation method is validated by experimental data.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 614-615)
• Pages: 529-535
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.614-615.529
• Online since: December 2012
• Authors: Wei Ting Jiang
• Keywords: Electric Conductivity, Nanofluid, Particles Aggregation, Thermal Conductivity (TC)

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