“Performance of Double Pipe Heat Exchanger Using Nanofluids.”

Abstract

Nanoparticles combined with base fluid (water) and corrugated tube is regarded as a very efficient strategy for providing high heat transfer performance between the target surface and working fluid in different applications. Here two types of tubes are used to evaluate the heat transfer rate viz corrugated tube and plain tube. A double tube heat exchanger is used to study and evaluate the difference between heat transfer rate of corrugated tube and plain tube. It aims to provide an experimental investigation on the thermal conductivity enhancement and heat transfer performance of water based Al₂O₃ (Alumina Powder) and CuO (Copper Oxide) nanofluids. Nanofluids at different concentrations of 0.25 %, 0.5 % and 1 % were prepared by a two-step method. Enhancements in Thermal conductivity and heat transfer performance of nanofluids were achieved. Nanofluids have shown the best results with a maximum of 36.25% increase in enhancement ratio of thermal conductivity and Al₂O₃ nanofluids by 19.76% at 1 % concentration for both Nanofluids. Finally, from this study it is observed that CuO nanofluid provides the best heat transfer rate compared to Al₂O₃ nanofluid with a combination of corrugated tube rather than plain tube.