Numerical investigation on the use of nanofluids in natural convection heat exchangers using a mixture-phase approach

In the present research, the behavior of a Newtonian nanofluid (water–Al2O3) in a mixture phase model approach is numerically examined. The process of heating is done in two different ways. Deterioration was found in the mean Nusselt number of a nanofluid in the mixture-phase model approach when compared to the mean Nusselt number of pure water. However, in the single-phase model there was an increase in the Nusselt number when compared to the Nusselt number of pure water. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/htj). DOI 10.1002/htj.20383