Surface Modifications Using Nanofluids for Nucleate Boiling Heat Transfer and CHF Enhancements

Colloidal dispersions of nanoparticles, also known as nanofluids, have shown to result in significant Critical Heat Flux (CHF) enhancement. The CHF enhancement mechanism in nanofluids is due to the buildup of a layer of nanoparticles which occurs upon boiling. Some studies have shown that this layer may also lead to increase in nucleate boiling heat transfer. Therefore, this paper discusses how key surface parameters such as surface wettability and surface roughness can be manipulated and optimized by coating nanoparticles in colloidal dispersions onto the desired surface, to enhance the nucleate boiling heat transfer and CHF.