Evidence for enhanced thermal conduction through percolating structures in nanofluids
- 16 June 2008
- journal article
- Published by IOP Publishing in Nanotechnology
- Vol. 19 (30), 305706
- https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-4484/19/30/305706
Abstract
The unusually large enhancement of thermal conductivity (k/k(f)∼4.0, where k and k(f) are the thermal conductivities of the nanofluid and the base fluid, respectively) observed in a nanofluid containing linear chain-like aggregates provides direct evidence for efficient transport of heat through percolating paths. The nanofluid used was a stable colloidal suspension of magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) nanoparticles of average diameter 6.7 nm, coated with oleic acid and dispersed in kerosene. The maximum enhancement under magnetic field was about 48φ (where φ is the volume fraction). The maximum enhancement is observed when chain-like aggregates are uniformly dispersed without clumping. These results also suggest that nanofluids containing well-dispersed nanoparticles (without aggregates) do not exhibit significant enhancement of thermal conductivity. Our findings offer promising applications for developing a new generation of nanofluids with tunable thermal conductivity.Keywords
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