Experimental investigation of heat transfer performance of different nanofluids in engine cooling system

Abstract

Cooling systems are needed for internal combustion engines to operate efficiently. The fluid traditionally used to transfer heat in cooling systems is a mixture of ethylene glycol (EG) and water (W). These fluids generally exhibit an effect that extends the operating temperature range and limits the heat output. On the other hand, nanofluids are known to increase the thermal capacity of liquid suspensions and have been studied in many experimental and numerical studies. This study examines the effects of nanofluids instead of currently used EG-Water on an actual vehicle. Three different nanofluids (TiO2, Al2O3, and SiO2) were used, and the concentration ratios of these fluids were determined as 0.1% and 0.2%. A real vehicle engine cooling system with a volume of 1400 cm3 operating at an average of 2000 rpm was used in the studies. Fluids that are widely studied in the literature were taken into account when selecting nanofluids. The results showed that SiO2 achieved the highest performance, with an increase of 15% compared to the base fluid. On the other hand, it was observed that increasing the concentration value of TiO2 exhibited a lower performance increase compared to other nanofluids. Finally, it has been observed that the operating temperature range of nanofluids affects.