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Article
Publication date: 15 August 2019

Davood Toghraie, Maboud Hekmatifar and Niyusha Adavoodi Jolfaei

This paper aims to investigate the three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations, based on the Navier–Stokes equations and the energy equation. Forced convection of a mixture of…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations, based on the Navier–Stokes equations and the energy equation. Forced convection of a mixture of (60:40) percent ethylene glycol and water, was used as the base fluid and CuO nanoparticles, through a serpentine minichannel.

Design/methodology/approach

In this simulation, a serpentine mini-channel heat exchanger was simulated. The fluid studied in this simulation was composed of a mixture of (60:40) per cent ethylene glycol and water, was used as the base fluid and CuO nanoparticles. Four slabs and three serpentines were used in this study. The serpentine section is connected to the slab. Three equidistant circular channels (1 mm in diameter) were implemented inside the slab.

Findings

Results show that nanoparticles increase the fluid pressure drop and by changing volume fraction of nanoparticles from 0 to 1 per cent, the pressure drop of nanofluids increases between 42and 47 per cent, for Reynolds numbers from 100 to 500. The existence of serpentine bend in the minichannel heat exchanger causes the heat transfer rate to increase. Increase the volume fraction of nanoparticles reduces the fluid temperature at the outlet of the heat exchanger. The numerical results show that in Re = 500, at the beginning of the last slab in middle channel by changing volume fraction of nanoparticles from 0 to 2 per cent, local Nusselt number 57.40 per cent increase. The existence of the serpentine bend causes the heat transfer rate to increase.

Originality/value

Forced convection of a mixture of (60:40) per cent ethylene glycol and water by using of 3D numerical simulations, based on the Navier–Stokes equations.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 30 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 June 2019

Farzad Pourfattah, Saeid Yousefi, Omid Ali Akbari, Mahsa Adhampour, Davood Toghraie and Maboud Hekmatifar

The purpose of this paper is to numerically simulate the nanofluid boiling inside a tube in turbulent flow regime and to investigate the effect of adding volume faction of CuO…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to numerically simulate the nanofluid boiling inside a tube in turbulent flow regime and to investigate the effect of adding volume faction of CuO nanoparticles on the boiling process.

Design/methodology/approach

To make sure the accuracy of the obtained numerical results, the results of this paper have been compared with the experimental results and an acceptable coincidence has been achieved. In the current paper, by Euler–Euler method, the phase change of boiling phenomenon has been modeled. The presented results are the local Nusselt number distribution, temperature distribution of wall, the distribution of volume fraction of vapor phase and fluid temperature at the center of the tube.

Findings

The obtained results indicate that using nanofluid is very effective in the postponement of the boiling process. Hence, by change the amount of volume fraction of nanoparticles in base fluid, the location of phase change and bubble creation are changed. Also, at the Reynolds numbers of 50,000, 100,000 and 150,000 with the volume fraction of 2 per cent, the beginning locations of phase change process are, respectively, 2D, 10D and 13D, and for the volume fraction of 4 per cent, the beginning locations of phase change are 4D, 18D and 19D, respectively. These results indicate that, as the volume fraction of nanoparticles increases, the location of the start of the phase change process is postponed that this issue causes the increment of heat transfer from wall to fluid and the reduction of wall temperature. In general, it can be stated that, in boiling flows, using nanofluid because of the delay in boiling phenomenon has a good effect on heat transfer enhancement of heated walls. Also, the obtained results show that, by increasing Reynolds number, the created vapor phase reduces that leads to increase of the Nusselt number.

Originality/value

The paper investigates the effect of using nanofluid in phase change process of cooling fluid.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 30 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

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