Nanotechnology for Heat Transfer and Storage

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy and Catalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 13457

Special Issue Editors

Universitat Jaume I, Av/Vicent Sos Baynat s/n 12006 Castelló, Spain
Interests: nanofluids; thermal energy storage; heat transfer; biodegradable polymers; food packaging; polymer processing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Universitat Jaume I, Av/Vicente Sos Baynat s/n 12006 Castelló, Spain
Interests: nanofluids; thermal energy storage; heat transfer

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, the environmental challenge of reducing the climate impact requires new technological solutions in the energy sector. Nanotechnology, including  nanofluids (colloidal suspensions with nanoparticles lower than 100nm in base fluids as water, oils, glycols, molten salts, etc.) can be an interesting alternative to achieve this challenge by making more efficient different applications, such as heat transfer and heat storage. This Special Issue of Nanomaterials aims at gathering original works and reviews about the recent advances on linking fundamental research of nanofluids with their applications for heat transfer and storage.

Papers dealing with experimental characterization, theoretical modelling, or numerical simulations of nanomaterials and nanofluids (nanoparticles, nanoPCM, nanosalts, ionanofluids, etc.) with improvements for heat transfer or storage applications will be considered for publication in this Special Issue. All types of papers, including short communications, full papers, and reviews, are very welcome.

We hope this Special Issue promotes a step forward in the research of nanomaterials, toward their potential use and implementation to enhance performance in energy applications systems. 


Prof. Dr. Luis Cabedo Mas
Prof. Dr. Leonor Hernández López
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Nanomaterials
  • Nanofluids
  • Energy storage
  • Heat transfer
  • NanoPCM

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 4268 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Ag-Decoration on rGO/Water Nanofluid Thermal Conductivity and Viscosity
by Felipe Lozano-Steinmetz, Victor A. Martínez, Diego A. Vasco, Alonso Sepúlveda-Mualin and Dinesh Patrap Singh
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(7), 1095; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano12071095 - 26 Mar 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1807
Abstract
Carbon-based nanomaterials have a high thermal conductivity, which can be exploited to prepare nanofluids. Graphene is a hydrophobic substance, and consequently, graphene-based nanofluid stability is improved by adding surfactants. An attractive alternative is the decoration of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with metallic materials [...] Read more.
Carbon-based nanomaterials have a high thermal conductivity, which can be exploited to prepare nanofluids. Graphene is a hydrophobic substance, and consequently, graphene-based nanofluid stability is improved by adding surfactants. An attractive alternative is the decoration of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with metallic materials to improve the thermal conductivity without affecting the stability of nanofluids. This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of rGO/Ag (0.1 wt.%) aqueous nanofluids. Moreover, the effects of the Ag concentration (0.01–1 M) on the thermal conductivity and viscosity during the synthesis of rGO/Ag composite are analyzed. The nanofluid thermal conductivity showed increases in relation to the base fluid, the most promising being 28.43 and 26.25% for 0.1 and 1 M of Ag, respectively. Furthermore, the nanofluids were Newtonian in the analyzed range of shear rates and presented a moderate increase (<11%) in viscosity. Aqueous nanofluids based on rGO/Ag nanocomposites are a potential alternative for applications as heat transfer fluids. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotechnology for Heat Transfer and Storage)
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13 pages, 7881 KiB  
Article
Numerical Simulation of Hybrid Nanofluid Mixed Convection in a Lid-Driven Square Cavity with Magnetic Field Using High-Order Compact Scheme
by M. M. Rashidi, M. Sadri and M. A. Sheremet
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(9), 2250; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11092250 - 31 Aug 2021
Cited by 55 | Viewed by 2819
Abstract
In this study, the energy transference of a hybrid Al2O3-Cu-H2O nanosuspension within a lid-driven heated square chamber is simulated. The domain is affected by a horizontal magnetic field. The vertical sidewalls are insulated and the horizontal borders [...] Read more.
In this study, the energy transference of a hybrid Al2O3-Cu-H2O nanosuspension within a lid-driven heated square chamber is simulated. The domain is affected by a horizontal magnetic field. The vertical sidewalls are insulated and the horizontal borders of the chamber are held at different fixed temperatures. A fourth-order accuracy compact method is applied to work out the vorticity-stream function view of incompressible Oberbeck–Boussinesq equations. The method used is validated against previous numerical and experimental works and good agreement is shown. The flow patterns, Nusselt numbers, and velocity profiles are studied for different Richardson numbers, Hartmann numbers, and the solid volume fraction of hybrid nanoparticles. Flow field and heat convection are highly affected by the magnetic field and volume fraction of each type of nanoparticles in a hybrid nanofluid. The results show an improvement of heat transfer using nanoparticles. To achieve a higher heat transmission rate by using the hybrid nanofluid, flow parameters like Richardson number and Hartmann number should be considered. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotechnology for Heat Transfer and Storage)
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26 pages, 9931 KiB  
Article
Heat Transfer and Hydrodynamic Properties Using Different Metal-Oxide Nanostructures in Horizontal Concentric Annular Tube: An Optimization Study
by Omer A. Alawi, Ali H. Abdelrazek, Mohammed Suleman Aldlemy, Waqar Ahmed, Omar A. Hussein, Sukaina Tuama Ghafel, Khaled Mohamed Khedher, Miklas Scholz and Zaher Mundher Yaseen
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(8), 1979; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11081979 - 31 Jul 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1978
Abstract
Numerical studies were performed to estimate the heat transfer and hydrodynamic properties of a forced convection turbulent flow using three-dimensional horizontal concentric annuli. This paper applied the standard k–ε turbulence model for the flow range 1 × 104 ≤ Re ≥ 24 [...] Read more.
Numerical studies were performed to estimate the heat transfer and hydrodynamic properties of a forced convection turbulent flow using three-dimensional horizontal concentric annuli. This paper applied the standard k–ε turbulence model for the flow range 1 × 104 ≤ Re ≥ 24 × 103. A wide range of parameters like different nanomaterials (Al2O3, CuO, SiO2 and ZnO), different particle nanoshapes (spherical, cylindrical, blades, platelets and bricks), different heat flux ratio (HFR) (0, 0.5, 1 and 2) and different aspect ratios (AR) (1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3) were examined. Also, the effect of inner cylinder rotation was discussed. An experiment was conducted out using a field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) to characterize metallic oxides in spherical morphologies. Nano-platelet particles showed the best enhancements in heat transfer properties, followed by nano-cylinders, nano-bricks, nano-blades, and nano-spheres. The maximum heat transfer enhancement was found in SiO2, followed by ZnO, CuO, and Al2O3, in that order. Meanwhile, the effect of the HFR parameter was insignificant. At Re = 24,000, the inner wall rotation enhanced the heat transfer about 47.94%, 43.03%, 42.06% and 39.79% for SiO2, ZnO, CuO and Al2O3, respectively. Moreover, the AR of 2.5 presented the higher heat transfer improvement followed by 3, 2, and 1.5. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotechnology for Heat Transfer and Storage)
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14 pages, 3244 KiB  
Article
n-Octadecane/Fumed Silica Phase Change Composite as Building Envelope for High Energy Efficiency
by Giang Tien Nguyen, Ha Soo Hwang, Jiyoung Lee, Dong An Cha and In Park
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(3), 566; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11030566 - 24 Feb 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2011
Abstract
A novel n-octadecane/fumed silica phase change composite has been prepared as a building envelope with a high content of phase change material and improved energy efficiency. With a high porosity (88 vol%), the fumed silica provided sufficient space to impregnate a high quantity [...] Read more.
A novel n-octadecane/fumed silica phase change composite has been prepared as a building envelope with a high content of phase change material and improved energy efficiency. With a high porosity (88 vol%), the fumed silica provided sufficient space to impregnate a high quantity of n-octadecane (70 wt%). The composite exhibited high latent heat storage capacity (155.8 J/g), high crystallization fraction (96.5%), and a melting temperature of 26.76 °C close to that of pure n-octadecane. A 200 accelerated thermal cycle test confirmed good thermal reliability and chemical stability of the phase change composite. The thermal conductivity of n-octadecane was reduced by 34% after impregnation in fumed silica. A phase change composite panel was fabricated and compared to a commercial polystyrene foam panel. When used as the roof of a test room, the phase change composite panel more efficiently retarded heat transfer from a halogen lamp to the room and delayed the increase in the indoor temperature than that by the polystyrene panel. The indoor temperatures of the room with the phase change composite panel roof were 19.8 and 22.9 °C, while those with the polystyrene panel roof were 29.9 and 31.9 °C at 2200 and 9000 s after lamp illumination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotechnology for Heat Transfer and Storage)
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Review

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28 pages, 4585 KiB  
Review
A Review of Thermal Property Enhancements of Low-Temperature Nano-Enhanced Phase Change Materials
by Joseph D. Williams and G. P. Peterson
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(10), 2578; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nano11102578 - 30 Sep 2021
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 3747
Abstract
Phase change materials (PCMs) are of increasing interest due to their ability to absorb and store large amounts of thermal energy, with minimal temperature variations. In the phase-change process, these large amounts of thermal energy can be stored with a minimal change in [...] Read more.
Phase change materials (PCMs) are of increasing interest due to their ability to absorb and store large amounts of thermal energy, with minimal temperature variations. In the phase-change process, these large amounts of thermal energy can be stored with a minimal change in temperature during both the solid/liquid and liquid/vapor phase transitions. As a result, these PCMs are experiencing increased use in applications such as solar energy heating or storage, building insulation, electronic cooling, food storage, and waste heat recovery. Low temperature, nano-enhanced phase change materials (NEPCM) are of particular interest, due to the recent increase in applications related to the shipment of cellular based materials and vaccines, both of which require precise temperature control for sustained periods of time. Information such as PCM and nanoparticle type, the effective goals, and manipulation of PCM thermal properties are assembled from the literature, evaluated, and discussed in detail, to provide an overview of NEPCMs and provide guidance for additional study. Current studies of NEPCMs are limited in scope, with the primary focus of a majority of recent investigations directed at increasing the thermal conductivity and reducing the charging and discharging times. Only a limited number of investigations have examined the issues related to increasing the latent heat to improve the thermal capacity or enhancing the stability to prevent sedimentation of the nanoparticles. In addition, this review examines several other important thermophysical parameters, including the thermal conductivity, phase transition temperature, rheological affects, and the chemical stability of NEPCMs. This is accomplished largely through comparing of the thermophysical properties of the base PCMs and their nano-enhanced counter parts and then evaluating the relative effectiveness of the various types of NEPCMs. Although there are exceptions, for a majority of conventional heat transfer fluids the thermal conductivity of the base PCM generally increases, and the latent heat decreases as the mass fraction of the nanoparticles increases, whereas trends in phase change temperature are often dependent upon the properties of the individual components. A number of recommendations for further study are made, including a better understanding of the stability of NEPCMs such that sedimentation is limited and thus capable of withstanding long-term thermal cycles without significant degradation of thermal properties, along with the identification of those factors that have the greatest overall impact and which PCM combinations might result in the most significant increases in latent heat. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotechnology for Heat Transfer and Storage)
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