Experimental Study on Heat Transfer and Friction Factor Characteristics of Single Layer Graphene Based DI-water Nanofluid in a Circular Tube under Laminar Flow and Different Heat Fluxes as Boundary Conditions

Abstract

An experimental study was performed to estimate the forced convection heat transfer performance and the pressure drop of a single layer graphene (GNPs) based DI-water nanofluid in a circular tube under a laminar flow and a uniform heat flux boundary conditions. The viscosity and thermal conductivity of nanofluid at weight concentrations of (0.1 to 1 wt%) were measured. The effects of the velocity of flow, heat flux and nanoparticle weight concentrations on the  enhancement of the heat transfer are examined. The Nusselt number of the GNPs nanofluid was enhanced as the heat flux and the velocity of flow rate  increased, and the maximum Nusselt number  ratio (Nu nanofluid/ Nu base fluid)   and thermal performance factor was (1.45) and (1.24) respectively, by using (1wt%) concentration and q=6104W/m2  heat flux. Finally, an analysis of the thermal performance factor shows that the GNPs nanofluids could work as a good alternative conventional working fluid in thermal heat transfer applications.