Enhanced effectiveness of nanofluid based natural circulation mini loop

The goal of this study is to investigate experimentally the thermal performance of a single-phase natural circulation mini loop (SPNCmL). The experiments were carried out with de-ionized water (DIW) with different particle concentration (1-3 % vol.) and size (10 and 30 nm) of Al2O3-DIW nanofluids. During the study, the operating parameters such as applied power to the heater (10-50 W), heat sink temperature (10 degrees C and 20 degrees C) and inclination angle (0 degrees, 30 degrees, 60 degrees and 75 degrees) of the loop were varied. To interpret the thermal performance of SPNCmL, a non-dimensionalized effectiveness factor was used. It was found that the effectiveness of the system is enhanced by the increase of particle concentration and inclination angle for all samples at full power range. Moreover, the results indicate a remarkable thermal performance enhancement (effectiveness factor increased to 30%) with using Al2O3-DIW nanofluids as a working fluid at inclined conditions which was achieved for the first time in a nanofluid based SPNCmL. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.