Nucleate Pool Boiling Characteristics of Dilute Water-Based Sio2 Nano-Fluids : An Experimental and Numerical Investigation

The current study represents a combined modeling and experimental approach to assess the boiling heat transfer mechanism of diluted water-based SiO 2 nanofluids which are known to keep them stable without the addition of any dispersant substances. Specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, contact angle, surface tension, viscosity and nanoparticles size distribution were measured. Under atmospheric pressure, nucleate pool boiling experiments were carried out employing dilute nanofluids as working fluids. Furthermore, a comprehensive mathematical model was presented based on the two-fluid method coupled with an improved wall boiling model. Later, the heat transfer mechanics via nucleate pool boiling was further assessed based on Brownian motion and the predicted results were found in exact alignment with the experimental ones. It was found that the existence of nanoparticles mainly affects the contact angle, while the thermal characteristics of the nanofluids remained intact. In comparison to the base fluid with 0.1 percent SiO 2 nanoparticles volume concentration, the effective heat transfer coefficient was significantly reduced by as much as 47 percent via analysis. The viscosity and heated surface wettability were the key parameters affecting the boiling heat transfer characteristics of dilute water-based SiO 2 nanofluids in comparison with the base fluid