화학공학소재연구정보센터
AIChE Journal, Vol.49, No.4, 1038-1043, 2003
Aggregation structure and thermal conductivity of nanofluids
Nanofluids are obtained by suspending metallic nanoparticles in conventional base liquids. Such a new class of heat-transfer fluid is superior to the base liquids in energy-transport performance, which depends on the distribution, volume fraction and thermal properties of the suspended nanoparticles. The theory of Brownian motion and the diffusion-limited aggregation model tire applied to simulate random motion and the aggregation process of the nanoparticles. A theoretical model is developed to predict the thermal conductivity of nanofluids. Comparison between the theoretical and experimental results shows the validity and accuracy of the theoretical model.