Convective heat transfer of alumina nanofluids in laminar flows through a pipe at the thermal entrance regime

The convective heat transfer characteristics of aqueous alumina nanofluids were investigated experimentally under forced laminar tube flows. The particles had different shapes of cylinders, bricks and blades, and particle loading was between 0-5 volume%. The nanofluids were characterized rheologically, and the heat transfer system was validated by using water without particles. In calculating Nusselt and Peclet numbers to assess heat transfer enhancement of nanofluids, physical properties of water were used so as not to exaggerate the amount of heat transfer. It was found that heat transfer coefficients of nanofluids are almost the same or a little smaller than that of water. The heat transfer coefficient can be reduced by the lowering the thermal conductivity of the nanofluid under shearing conditions and particle depletion by the cluster migration from the wall to the tube center. The reduction in thermophysical properties also contributes to the reduction in heat transfer coefficient. It has been concluded that nanofluids from metal particles with appropriate stabilizing agents can satisfy the requirements to be a practically usable nanofluid.