Nanofluids Enhanced Twisted Tape Heat Exchanger

Heat exchangers are often required to remove waste heat and cool vital components in industrial processes, automobiles, and commercial heating and cooling systems. The thermal efficiencies of these heat exchangers directly affect the overall energy efficiencies of these processes, and many aspects of the heat exchangers can be improved to increase efficiency. Research generally involves investigations of new geometries to improve pressure drop and thermal performance. However, recently, new heat transfer fluids, such as nanofluids, have emerged as a way to improve heat exchanger performance. (Nanofluids are dispersions of solid nanoparticles in a base coolant such as water or ethylene glycol; the nanoparticles have a higher density than the surrounding base fluid.) However, a geometry that accounts for the interesting properties of nanofluids, in order further improve performance, has not been attained. This project will develop a heat exchanger that uses nanofluids as a coolant. The heat exchanger will have a twisted tape insert that generates a centrifugal motion of the nanofluid as it flows over the insert, thereby causing the higher density nanoparticles to concentrate near the wall of the heat transfer tubing. By concentrating the high-thermal-conductivity nanoparticles near the wall, an enhancement in heat transfer will be obtained. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: The advanced heat exchanger technology should benefit many residential and industrial applications where the working fluid and the heat exchanger design are limiting overall performance. These applications include building HVAC, automobile radiators, and high performance electronics cooling. The improved heat transfer performance will help reduce fossil fuel usage and green house gas emissions