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Experimental investigation of pressure drop and cooling performance of an automobile radiator using Al2O3-water + ethylene glycol nanofluid

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Abstract

In this study, the cooling capacity and the pressure drop variation in an automobile radiator using nanofluid instead of water with antifreeze that are investigated experimentally. The nanofluid consisted of 50% Ethylene Glycol–Water mixture including Al2O3 nanoparticles with 0.5% volumetric concentration was used as coolant. In all experiments, the inlet temperature of the cooling fluid into the radiator was held constant at 95 C. The tests were carried out at the air inlet temperature between 23.4–28.6 °C, the air velocity between 1.7–4.3 m/s, the cooling loads between 2.5–15 kW and the cooling fluid flow rates between 10 and 25 L/min. Results demonstrate that 50% Ethylene Glycol–Water based 0.5% vol. Al2O3 nanofluid increased the cooling capacity of the radiator up to 15% compared to the fluid with only 50% Ethylene Glycol–Water mixture. Instead of 15% increment, radiator can make with smaller surface area up to 15%, or the flow rate can be decreased for same heat transfer rate, so fluid pumping power consumption can be reduced in order to save fuel as much as pumping power economy. In addition, it has not been observed a remarkable increase in the pressure drop.

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Abbreviations

c :

specific heat (J/kg · K.)

d :

diameter (m)

EG :

Ethylene glycol

EW :

50% ethylene glycol–water mixture

k :

thermal conductivity (W/m · K)

K :

data of Kale Oto Radyatör for Vair/Vair, max

m :

mass (kg)

\( \dot{m} \) :

mass flow rate (kg/s)

N :

(nanofluid)

P :

pressure (bar, Pa)

Q :

heat transfer rate (W)

T :

temperature (°C, K)

V :

velocity (m/s)

∀:

volumetric flow rate (m3/s, L/min)

W :

additional pumping power (W)

h :

heat transfer coefficient (W/m2K)

α :

thermal diffusivity (m2/s)

∆ :

variation or difference of a parameter

μ :

dynamic viscosity (Pa · s) or (kg/m · s)

ρ :

density (kg/m3)

ϕ :

volumetric concentration (%)

air :

(air)

bf :

base fluid

cool :

(coolant)

EG :

Ethylene Glycol

in :

(inlet)

nf :

(nanofluid)

np :

(nanoparticle)

out :

(outlet)

rad :

(radiator)

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by “The Scientific and Technological Research Council Of Turkey” (TUBITAK 1505, Project No. 5140013) and Kale Oto Radyatör Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial supports provided by TUBITAK and Kale Oto Radyatör.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Engineering Faculty, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey

    Adnan Topuz & Beytullah Erdoğan

  2. Engineering Faculty, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sakarya University, Sakarya, Turkey

    Tahsin Engin & Serdar Mert

  3. Kale Oto Radyatör Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş, Kocaeli, Turkey

    Alper Yeter

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  1. Adnan Topuz
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Correspondence to Beytullah Erdoğan.

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Topuz, A., Engin, T., Erdoğan, B. et al. Experimental investigation of pressure drop and cooling performance of an automobile radiator using Al2O3-water + ethylene glycol nanofluid. Heat Mass Transfer 56, 2923–2937 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-020-02916-8

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