The Effect of Adding ZnO Nanoparticles to Radiator Coolant on Heat Transfer Performance in Motor Vehicle Cooling Systems

Elka Faizal; Sugeng  Hadi Susilo

doi:10.70822/journalofevrmata.vi.119

Authors

Elka Faizal State Polytechnic of Malang
Sugeng Hadi Susilo State Polytechnic of Malang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70822/journalofevrmata.vi.119

Keywords:

ZnO nanofluids, heat transfer, radiator coolant, nanoparticles, automotive cooling systems

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of adding Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles to radiator coolant to enhance the heat transfer performance of automotive cooling systems. The research explores the optimal concentration of ZnO nanofluids and examines operational conditions such as flow rates (7-11 lpm) and fluid temperatures (60°C, 70°C, and 80°C) to determine their effect on heat transfer performance. The results demonstrate that ZnO nanoparticles significantly improve the heat transfer coefficient, with the highest performance observed at a concentration of 0.35% ZnO and a temperature of 70°C. The optimal combination of flow rate (10 lpm) and temperature (70°C) resulted in a 62.86% increase in heat transfer compared to conventional coolant. This study provides valuable insights into selecting the optimal nanofluid concentration and operational conditions for improving vehicle radiator performance.

References

H. M. Ali, H. Azhar, M. D. Saleem, Q. S. Saeed, and A. Saieed, "Experimental investigation of convective heat transfer augmentation for car radiator using ZnO–water nanofluids," Energy, vol. 84, pp. 317–324, May 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2015.02.103.

K. Suganthi and V. Leela Vinodhan, "Heat transfer performance and transport properties of ZnO–ethylene glycol and ZnO–ethylene glycol–water nanofluid coolants," Appl. Energy, vol. 135, pp. 548–559, Nov. 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.09.023.

A. Qamar, Z. Anwar, H. Ali, S. Imran, R. Shaukat, and M. M. Abbas, "Heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of ZnO/DIW based nanofluids in small diameter compact channels: An experimental study," Case Stud. Therm. Eng., vol. 39, p. 102441, Sep. 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.csite.2022.102441.

S. Efemwenkiekie, "Experimental investigation of enhanced heat transfer of a car radiator using ZnO nanoparticles in H₂O–ethylene glycol mixture," J. Therm. Anal. Calorim., vol. 138, pp. 1–?, 2021, doi: 10.1007/s10973-021-109.

R. N. Radkar, B. A. Bhanvase, D. P. Barai, and S. H. Sonawane, "Intensified convective heat transfer using ZnO nanofluids in heat exchanger with helical coiled geometry at constant wall temperature," Mater. Sci. Energy Technol., vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 161–170, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.mset.2019.01.007.

Y. Li, J. Fernández-Seara, K. Du, and J. Weixue, "Experimental investigation on heat transfer and pressure drop of ZnO/ethylene glycol–water nanofluids in transition flow," Appl. Therm. Eng., vol. 89, pp. 433–443, Oct. 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2015.05.067.

A. Amiri et al., "Enhanced heat transfer performance of an automobile radiator with nanofluid-based coolants," Appl. Therm. Eng., vol. 110, pp. 1–7, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2016.11.032.

K. Y. Leong, R. Saidur, S. Kazi, and A. Mamun, "Performance investigation of an automotive car radiator operated with nanofluid-based coolants," Appl. Therm. Eng., vol. 30, no. 17–18, pp. 2685–2692, 2010, doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2010.06.019.

P. Razi et al., "Pressure drop and thermal characteristics of CuO-based nanofluid laminar flow in flattened tubes under constant heat flux," Int. Commun. Heat Mass Transf., vol. 38, pp. 42–49, 2011, doi: 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2011.03.004.

M. Naraki et al., "Parametric study of overall heat transfer coefficient of CuO/water nanofluids in a car radiator," Int. J. Therm. Sci., vol. 73, pp. 181–190, 2013, doi: 10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2013.08.018.

S. M. Peyghambarzadeh et al., "Experimental study of heat transfer enhancement using water/ethylene glycol-based nanofluids as a new coolant s for car radiators," Int. Commun. Heat Mass Transf., vol. 38, pp. 128–134, 2011, doi: 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2010.09.008.

H. M. Nieh et al., "Enhanced heat dissipation of a radiator using oxide nano-coolant," Int. J. Therm. Sci., vol. 81, pp. 69–78, 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2014.04.014.

M. Dehghandokht et al., "Flow and heat transfer characteristics of water and ethylene glycol–water in a multi-port serpentine meso-channel heat exchanger," Int. J. Therm. Sci., vol. 50, pp. 112–121, 2011, doi: 10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2010.08.024.

C. Selvam et al., "Enhanced heat transfer performance of an automobile radiator with graphene-based suspensions," Appl. Therm. Eng., vol. 114, pp. 652–666, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2016.12.123.

S. Vithayasai, R. Saidur, and H. A. Mohammed, "Effect of electric field on heat transfer performance of automobile radiator at low frontal air velocity," Appl. Therm. Eng., vol. 26, pp. 111–118, 2006, doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2005.07.009.

A. Amiri et al., "Toward improved engine performance with crumpled nitrogen‑doped graphene based water–ethylene glycol coolant," Chem. Eng. J., vol. 302, pp. 407–420, 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2016.06.057.

M. A. Hafiz Muhammad Ali et al., "Experimental investigation of heat transfer and pressure drop in a straight minichannel heat sink using TiO₂ nanofluid," Int. J. Heat Mass Transf., vol. 110, pp. 248–256, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2017.03.032.

A. A. Qamar, Z. Anwar, H. Ali, S. Imran, and R. Shaukat, "Experimental investigation of dispersion stability and thermophysical properties of ZnO/DIW nanofluids for heat transfer applications," Alex. Eng. J., vol. 61, no. 5, pp. 4011–4026, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.aej.2021.09.028.

H. H. Balla, A. L. Hashem, Z. S. Kareem, and A. F. Abdulwahid, "Heat transfer potentials of ZnO/water nanofluid in free impingement jet," Case Stud. Therm. Eng., vol. 27, p. 101143, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.csite.2021.101143.

T. Wen, G. Zhu, K. Jiao, and L. Lu, "Experimental study on the thermal and flow characteristics of ZnO/water nanofluid in mini‑channels with ANN prediction and CFD simulation," Int. J. Heat Mass Transf., vol. 178, p. 121617, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2021.121617.

T. Wen, G. Zhu, and L. Lu, "Experimental and ANN study on the heat transfer and flow performance of ZnO–EG/water nanofluid in a mini‑channel with serrated fins," Int. J. Therm. Sci., vol. 170, p. 107149, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2021.107149.

W. Ahmed et al., "Effect of ZnO‑water based nanofluids from sonochemical synthesis method on heat transfer in a circular flow passage," Int. Commun. Heat Mass Transf., vol. 114, p. 104591, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2020.104591.

M. Ahsan et al., "Thermal and hydraulic performance of ZnO/EG-based nanofluids in circular minichannel tubes," Heliyon, vol. 10, no. 2, p. e, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e.

R. N. Radkar et al., "Convective heat transfer enhancement using ZnO nanofluid in a helical copper tube heat exchanger," Mater. Sci. Energy Technol., vol. 3, pp. 101–112, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.mset.2020.07.008.

Y. Zhang et al., "Transport properties and heat transfer coefficients of ZnO/(ethylene glycol + water) nanofluids," Int. J. Heat Mass Transf., vol. 89, pp. 433–443, 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2015.05.067.

S. M. Peyghambarzadeh et al., "Experimental investigation of overall heat transfer coefficient in dilute nanofluids applied in car radiator," Appl. Therm. Eng., vol. 52, pp. 99–108, 2013, doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2012.10.015.

E. Gunes et al., "Nanofluid radiator cooling performance using ZnO, Al₂O₃ and CuO nanofluids," Appl. Therm. Eng., vol. 92, pp. 512–523, 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2015.10.085.

R. Yang et al., "Heat transfer enhancement and pressure drop of ZnO nanofluid flow in microchannels," Int. J. Heat Mass Transf., vol. 145, pp. 118–127, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2019.07.039.

A. Qamar et al., "Thermophysical characterization of ZnO nanofluids for cooling applications," Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, vol. 35, p. 101042, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.csite.2022.101042.

T. Wen, L. Lu, S. Zhang, and H. Zhong, "Thermal and flow behavior of EG/water ZnO nanofluid in multiport mini channels," Appl. Therm. Eng., vol. 182, p. 116089, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2020.116089.