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Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering
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Nanofluids transport model based on Fokker-Planck equation and the convection heat transfer calculation

Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering volume 26, pages 1277–1284 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

In current research about nanofluid convection heat transfer, random motion of nanoparticles in the liquid distribution problem mostly was not considered. In order to study on the distribution of nanoparticles in liquid, nanofluid transport model in pipe is established by using the continuity equation, momentum equation and Fokker-Planck equation. The velocity distribution and the nanoparticles distribution in liquid are obtained by numerical calculation, and the effect of particle size and particle volume fraction on convection heat transfer coefficient of nanofluids is analyzed. The result shows that in high volume fraction (φ = 0.8% ), the velocity distribution of nanofluids characterizes as a “cork-shaped” structure, which is significantly different from viscous fluid with a parabolic distribution. The convection heat transfer coefficient increases while the particle size of nanoparticle in nanofluids decreases. And the convection heat transfer coefficient of nanofluids is in good agreement with the experimental result both in low (φ ⩽0.1% ) and high (φ=0.6% ) volume fractions. In presented model, Brown motion, the effect of interactions between nanoparticles and fluid coupling, is also considered, but any phenomenological parameter is not introduced. Nanoparticles in liquid transport distribution can be quantitatively calculated by this model.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China

    Xiaohui Lin, Chibin Zhang, Juekuan Yang, Shuyun Jiang, Weisong Ren & Jun Gu

Authors
  1. Xiaohui Lin
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  2. Chibin Zhang
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  3. Juekuan Yang
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  4. Shuyun Jiang
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  5. Weisong Ren
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  6. Jun Gu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chibin Zhang.

Additional information

This project is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No. 51375090)

LIN Xiaohui, born in 1960, is currently an associate professor at School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, China. He received his bachelor degree from Wuhan University of Technology, China, in 1982. His research interests include two-phase flow transport theory.

ZHANG Chibin, born in 1968, is currently a professor at School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, China. He received his PhD degree from Tongji University, China, in 2004.

YANG Juekuan, born in 1972, is currently a research associate at Southeast University, China.

JIANG Shuyun, born in 1966, is currently a PhD supervisor at Southeast University, China.

REN Weisong, born in 1986, is currently a master at Southeast University, China. GU Jun, born in 1988, is currently a master at Southeast University, China.

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Lin, X., Zhang, C., Yang, J. et al. Nanofluids transport model based on Fokker-Planck equation and the convection heat transfer calculation. Chin. J. Mech. Eng. 26, 1277–1284 (2013). https://doi.org/10.3901/CJME.2013.06.1277

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3901/CJME.2013.06.1277

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