Enhancing Electronics Cooling with Al2O3-Ag/Ethylene Glycol Hybrid Nanofluids
Authors: Sid Ali Si Salah
Volume 11, Issue 1, Paper No. 110103
Abstract
This study utilized a homogeneous phase model to examine the laminar forced convection flow within a broad rectangular micro-channel. It involved the use of nanofluids composed of alumina (Al2O3) and a combined mixture of Al2O3 and silver (Ag) particles suspended in ethylene glycol as the base fluid. A finite thickness was attributed to the bottom of the micro-channel to provide space for a heat source or electronic component. The study explored various parameters, including nanoparticle diameter, concentration, hybrid nanoparticle mixture volume fractions, and Reynolds number, to analyze the flow and heat transfer characteristics within the micro-channel. To validate the computational method, experimental data from the literature for Al2O3/water nanofluids were successfully used as a reference. The findings of this investigation revealed that a nanofluid consisting of 4% hybrid nanoparticles (0.8% Al2O3 + 3.2% Ag) exhibited a higher average convective heat transfer coefficient compared to pure ethylene glycol and pure alumina (Al2O3). This suggests that hybrid nanofluids represent a promising new class of working fluids for enhancing heat transfer. Furthermore, the study found that the average convective heat transfer coefficient is enhanced by 83% compared to pure ethylene glycol (EG) with higher Reynolds numbers and volume concentrations of nanoparticles. Additionally, there was a 58% increase in the convective heat transfer coefficient with smaller nanoparticle diameters. Importantly, the use of hybrid nanofluids with different volume fractions and nanoparticle diameters did not significantly affect the friction factor within the micro-channel.
Keywords: Numerical modelling; Hybrid Nanofluids; microchannel heat sink; Heat transfer enhancement.
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