THERMAL TRANSPORT IN NANOFLUIDS

▪ Abstract Nanofluids, consisting of nanometer-sized solid particles and fibers dispersed in liquids, have recently been demonstrated to have great potential for improving the heat transfer properties of liquids. Several characteristic behaviors of nanofluids have been identified, including the possibility of obtaining large increases in thermal conductivity compared with liquids without nanoparticles, strong temperature-dependent effects, and significant increases in critical heat flux. Observed behavior is in many cases anomalous with respect to the predictions of existing macroscopic theories, indicating the need for a new theory that properly accounts for the unique features of nanofluids. Theoretical…