Intertube Falling-Film Heat Transfer Behavior of Multiwall Carbon Nanotube Suspensions (MWCNT Nanofluids)

The thermal conductivity and viscosity of water-based and ethylene-glycol-based multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) suspensions are measured for MWCNT volume concentrations up to 0.24%. The thermal conductivity is found to increase up to 8.6% and 9.3% for water-based and ethylene-glycol-based nanofluids, respectively. The viscosity of the nanofluids increases compared to that of their base fluids, with larger increases for the ethylene-glycol-based nanofluids. Intertube falling-film heat transfer characteristics of these nanofluids are measured and compared to data for the base fluids. The heat transfer coefficient of the water-based nanofluids decreases at low MWCNT concentrations but increases as the concentration increases. The heat transfer coefficient of the ethylene-glycol-based nanofluids decreases with an increase in MWCNT concentration, with a maximum deviation of 30%.