access icon free Investigation of multiwall carbon nanotube-based nanofluid advantages in microchannel heat sinks

© The Institution of Engineering and Technology
Received 19/10/2012, Accepted 26/04/2013, Revised 19/04/2013, Published

In this Letter, the cooling performance of microchannel heat sinks, as well as a comparison of the heat the transfer efficiency of two nanofluids: Al2O3–water and multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT)–water and pure water, is investigated. At first, the same pumping power inlet boundary condition, which is a standard comparison of the performance of different fluids, is applied for a single rectangular duct, and the results are stored for the modelling of the heat sink. Following this stage, a heat sink made up of aluminium with water as working fluid is modelled. After validation of the results and optimisation of the grid, the efficiency of the three fluids is compared. It is seen that by using MWCNT–water nanofluid instead of water in a typical heat sink, the mean reduction in thermal resistance for MWCNT–water and Al2O3–water, in comparison with using water, respectively, are 18 and 1%. This shows the great advantages of using MWCNTs in heat sinks in comparison with Al2O3.

Inspec keywords: nanofluidics; carbon nanotubes; ducts; thermal resistance; heat sinks; cooling; microchannel flow

Other keywords: microchannel heat sinks; heat transfer efficiency; grid optimisation; cooling performance; thermal resistance; MWCNT-water nanofluid; heat sink modelling; pumping power inlet boundary condition; multiwall carbon nanotube-based nanofluid advantages; single-rectangular duct; aluminium oxide-water

Subjects: Applied fluid mechanics; Fullerene, nanotube and related devices; MEMS and NEMS device technology; Heat and thermodynamic processes (mechanical engineering); Flows in ducts, channels, and conduits; Micromechanics (mechanical engineering); Fluid mechanics and aerodynamics (mechanical engineering)

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