Experimental assessment and predictive model of the performance of Ti-based nanofluids

The need for innovative propulsion technologies (e.g., fuel cells) in the mobility sector is posing a higher-than-ever burden on thermal management. When low operative temperature shall be ensured, dissipation of a significant amount of heat is requested, together with limited temperature variation of the coolant; mobile applications also yield limitations in terms of space available for cooling subsystems. Nanofluids have recently become one of the most promising solutions to replace conventional coolants. However, the prediction of their effectiveness in terms of heat-transfer enhancement and required pumping power still appears a challenge, being limited by the lack of a general methodology that assesses them simultaneously in various flow regimes. To this end, an experiment was developed to compare a conventional coolant (ethylene glycol/water) and a TiO2-based nanofluid (1% particle loading), focusing on heat transfer and pressure loss. The experimental dataset was used as an input for a physical model based on two independent figures of merit, aiming at an a priori evaluation of the potential simultaneous gain in heat transfer and parasitic power. The model showed conditions of combined gain specifically for the laminar flow regime, whereas turbulent flows proved inherently associated to higher pumping power; overall, criteria are presented to evaluate nanofluid performance as compared to that of conventional coolants. The model is generally applicable to the design of cooling systems and emphasizes laminar flow regime as promising in conjunction with the use of nanofluids, proposing indices for a quantitative a priori evaluation and leading to an advancement with respect to an a posteriori assessment of their performance.