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

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 Al(2)O(3)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 degrees 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. Al(2)O(3)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.