Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer Analysis of Different Nanofluids Flowing Through a Protrusion Obstacles Square Channel

Abstract

Conventional sources of energy are getting depleted at an alarming rate, makes future sustainable development of energy use very difficult. Therefore, it has become imperative to utilize heat energy more effectively and improve the heat transfer rate in heat exchanger tubes and channels. The conventional heat transfer fluids have often several limitations. One of those major limitations is that the thermal conductivity of each of these base fluids is very low and this results a lower heat transfer rate in thermal engineering systems. To overcome such an important drawback, researchers over the years have considered a new generation heat transfer fluid, simply known as nanofluid with higher thermal conductivity. This new generation heat transfer fluid is a mixture of nanometer size particles and different base fluids. newlineThe present work deals with, an experimental and numerical analyses of fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics of different nanofluids flowing through a protrusion obstacles square channel. The geometry was selected as an integration of roughness and the nano fluid as the working medium so that better enhancement in heat transfer can be achieved with minimum pressure drop across the square channel. Results was compared with those of smooth surface square channel under similar flow conditions to determine the enhancement in Nusselt number and friction factor. Experimental data was used to develop empirical correlations for Nusselt number and friction factor as function of system and operating parameters. The effect of the above input parameters on Nusselt number, and friction factor, were investigated by ANOVA analysis. newline