Study of the influence of the addition of nanoparticles of alumina to water on the heat transfer coefficient during convective boiling in microchannels

• Grant number: 13/02869-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): April 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): November 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Mechanical Engineering - Transport Phenomena
• Principal Investigator: Gherhardt Ribatski
• Grantee: Tiago Augusto Moreira
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The present research proposal is related to ongoing research projects fomented by CNPq, CAPES, and FAPESP, concerning the investigating of flow boiling of nanofluids (nanoparticles solution in a base fluid) in micro-scale channels. The proposal is also a consequence of a series of funding from FAPESP under my supervision concerning the study of convective boiling of pure fluids in micro-scale channels. Generally speaking, this proposal concerns an experimental study of the effect of the concentration of nanoparticles on the heat transfer coefficient during convective boiling of deionized water in a 1.1 mm diameter tube. The experiments will be performed with alumina-g with an average diameter of 20 nm for volumetric concentrations of 0.01%, 0.1%, and 0.5%. Possible alterations on the heat transfer surface due to the nanofluid boiling process will be investigated through scanning electron microscopy of the internal surface of the tube before and after the experiments. The nanofluid will be prepared by the two steps method that will consist of the addition of nanoparticles to the base fluid and the agitation of the solution with an ultrasonic homogenizer. This procedure allows obtaining an almost stable solution for a low concentration of nanoparticles without adding any stabilizers or acids. The experimental investigation will be conducted in a test facility at the Mechanical Department at the EESC-USP that is already operational. Besides the advisor, the research team in the Department of Mechanical Engineering of EESC-USP dedicated to the study of nanofluids comprises a second undergraduate student with a scholarship from PIBIC, one post-doctorate with a scholarship from CNPq (process n° 504049/2012-7) and a doctoral student with a scholarship from FAPESP (process n° 2011/13119-0). The last one is currently in a doctoral internship at the Nuclear Science and Engineering department of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MOREIRA, TIAGO AUGUSTO; DO NASCIMENTO, FRANCISCO JUILO; RIBATSKI, GHERHARDT; GRP, HEAT TRANSFER RES. An investigation of the effect of nanoparticle composition and dimension on the heat transfer coefficient during flow boiling of aqueous nanofluids in small diameter channels (1.1 mm). EXPERIMENTAL THERMAL AND FLUID SCIENCE, v. 89, p. 72-89, DEC 2017. (11/13119-0, 13/02869-4, 16/16849-3)