Toward nanofluids of ultra-high thermal conductivity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>The assessment of proposed origins for thermal conductivity enhancement in nanofluids signifies the importance of particle morphology and coupled transport in determining nanofluid heat conduction and thermal conductivity. The success of developing nanofluids of...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Wang Liqiu, Fan Jing
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2011-01-01
Series:Nanoscale Research Letters
Online Access:http://www.nanoscalereslett.com/content/6/1/153
Description
Summary:<p>Abstract</p> <p>The assessment of proposed origins for thermal conductivity enhancement in nanofluids signifies the importance of particle morphology and coupled transport in determining nanofluid heat conduction and thermal conductivity. The success of developing nanofluids of superior conductivity depends thus very much on our understanding and manipulation of the morphology and the coupled transport. Nanofluids with conductivity of upper Hashin-Shtrikman (H-S) bound can be obtained by manipulating particles into an interconnected configuration that disperses the base fluid and thus significantly enhancing the particle-fluid interfacial energy transport. Nanofluids with conductivity higher than the upper H-S bound could also be developed by manipulating the coupled transport among various transport processes, and thus the nature of heat conduction in nanofluids. While the direct contributions of ordered liquid layer and particle Brownian motion to the nanofluid conductivity are negligible, their indirect effects can be significant via their influence on the particle morphology and/or the coupled transport.</p>
ISSN:1931-7573
1556-276X