Nanofluid

A Nanofluid is a fluid containing nanometer-sized particles, called nanoparticles. These fluids are engineered colloidal suspensions of nanoparticles in a base fluid.^[1][2] The nanoparticles used in nanofluids are typically made of metals, oxides, carbides, or carbon nanotubes. Common base fluids include water, ethylene glycol^[3] and oil.

Nanofluids have novel properties that make them potentially useful in many applications in heat transfer,^[4] including microelectronics, fuel cells, pharmaceutical processes, and hybrid-powered engines,^[5] engine cooling/vehicle thermal management, domestic refrigerator, chiller, heat exchanger, nuclear reactor coolant, in grinding, machining, in space technology, defense and ships, and in boiler flue gas temperature reduction. They exhibit enhanced thermal conductivity and the convective heat transfer coefficient compared to the base fluid.^[6] Knowledge of the rheological behaviour of nanofluids is found to be very critical in deciding their suitability for convective heat transfer applications^[7][8]

In analysis such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD), nanofluids can be assumed to be single phase fluids. Classical theory of single phase fluids can be applied, where physical properties of nanofluid is taken as a function of properties of both constituents and their concentrations.^[9] An alternative approach simulates nanofluids using a two-component model.^[10]

Synthesis of Nanofluids

Nanofluids are supplied by two methods called the one-step and two-step methods. Several liquids including water, ethelene glycol, and oils have been used as base fluids. Nano-materials used so far in nanofluid synthesis include metallic particles, oxide particles, carbon nanotubes, graphene nano-flakes and ceramic particles.^[11]

Smart Cooling Nanofluids

Realizing the modest thermal conductivity enhancement in conventional nanofluids, a team of researchers at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research Centre, Kalpakkam developed a new class of magnetically polarizable nanofluids where the thermal conductivity enhancement up to 300% of basefluids is demonstrated. Fatty-acid-capped magnetite nanoparticles of different sizes (3-10 nm) have been synthesized for this purpose. It has been shown that both the thermal and rheological properties of such magnetic nanofluids are tunable by varying the magnetic field strength and orientation with respect to the direction of heat flow. Such response stimuli fluids are reversibly switchable and have applications in miniature devices such as micro- and nano-electromechanical systems.^[12][13] Recently Azizian et al., considered effect of an external magnetic field on the convective heat transfer coefficient of water-based magnetite nanofluid experimentally under laminar flow regime. Up to 300% enhancement obtained at Re=745 and magnetic field gradient of 32.5 mT/mm. The effect of the magnetic field on the pressure drop was not as significant.^[14]

Response Stimuli Nanofluids for Sensing Applications

Researchers have invented a nanofluid based ultrasensitive optical sensor that changes its colour on exposure to extremely low concentrations of toxic cations.^[15] The sensor is useful in detecting minute traces of cations in industrial and environmental samples. Existing techniques for monitoring cations levels in industrial and environmental samples are expensive, complex and time-consuming. The sensor is designed with a magnetic nanofluid that consists of nanodroplets with magnetic grains suspended in water. At a fixed magnetic field, a light source illuminates the nanofluid where the colour of the nanofluid changes depending on the cation concentration. This color change occurs within a second after exposure to cations, much faster than other existing cation sensing methods.

Such response stimulus nanofluids are also used to detect and image defects in ferromagnetic components. The photonic eye, as it has been called, is based on a magnetically polarizable nano-emulsion that changes colour when it comes into contact with a defective region in a sample. The device might be used to monitor structures such as rail tracks and pipelines.^[16][17]

Applications

Nanofluids are primarily used as coolant in heat transfer equipment such as heat exchangers, electronic cooling system(such as flat plate) and radiators.^[18] Heat transfer over flat plate has been analyzed by a lot of researchers.^[19] Graphene based nanofluid has been found to enhance Polymerase chain reaction^[20] efficiency. Nanofluids in solar collectors is another application where nanofluids are employed for their tunable optical properties.^[21][22]

Journals

Recently, American scientific publishers launched a new journal called 'Journal of Nanofluids' specially for nanofluids.^[23] Journal of Nanofluids covers research areas on molecular fluid, nanofluids, and related technologies.

Notable researchers

• Stephen U. S. Choi^[24]
• Sarit Kumar Das^[25]
• Thalappil Pradeep
• Jacopo Buongiorno
• Aminreza Noghrehabadi^[26]

References

European Projects: NanoHex is a European Project developing industrial class nanofluid coolants