Phenomenological formula for thermal conductivity coefficient of water-based nanofluids

Abstract

A phenomenological formula has been proposed to describe the thermal conductivity of waterbased nanofluids. The formula has been derived based on available experimental data on nanofluids containing Al₂O₃ particles. It takes into account the dependence of the thermal conductivity coefficients of the nanofluids on both volume concentration and sizes of the particles. The formula has also been shown to describe with an accuracy of about 3% the thermal conductivity coefficients of nanofluids containing TiO₂, SiO₂, ZrO₂, and CuO particles with sizes of 8–150 nm and volume concentrations as high as 8%.