Thermal-Flow Characteristics of Ferrofluids in a Rotating Eccentric Cylinder under External Magnetic Force

Abstract

Heat dissipation has become an important issue due to the miniaturization of various electronic devices. Various methods such as spray and nozzle coolers, heat sinks and so on are used for heat dissipation. However, the emergence of ferrofluids drastically improves the operating characteristics of electromagnetic systems and devices. A ferrofluid is a suspension containing 10-nm magnetic particles in a colloidal solution. This material exhibits paramagnetic behavior and is sensitive to magnetic field and temperature. In this study, heat transfer characteristics of ferrofluids in a rotating eccentric cylinder were investigated using the commercial code, COMSOL Multiphysics. Numerical results of the local Nusselt number, magnetophoretic force and velocity distributions were obtained from various eccentricities of the cylinder, and the results were graphically depicted with various flow conditions.