EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF METAL OXIDE SUSPENDED NANOFLUIDS ON THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF HEAT PIPES.

Heat transmission by means of heat pipes is one of the fastest and most efficient thermal management technologies. The performance of typical thermal systems that use heat transfer fluid (HTF) can be improved by incorporating nanoparticles into the HTF (nanofluid). This work describes an experimental examination of metal oxide suspended nano-sized particles such as zinc oxide (ZnO) and copper oxide (CuO) in deionized water as the base fluid (DIwater). The nanoparticle levels used for this investigation are 0%, 1%, 2% and 3% by weight. Experiments were carried out at all levels of nanofluids with heat pipe inclinations ranging from horizontal to vertical. The rheological measurements of the two nanofluids under a wide range of temperatures and shear rate were studied. The thermal performance of a heat pipe with water-based nanofluids is expected to improve more than that of a normal heat pipe. The thermal efficiency of a heat pipe using nanofluids was examined at various tilt angles. The results show that a heat pipe at a tilt angle of 60° generates superior effects. Temperature distribution along the length of the heat pipe under different power input conditions was presented using varied weight proportions of nanofluids (ZnO & CuO). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]